Do not read this
by ShiroKishi24
Summary: This is for myself, I'm uploading the chapters for me to read coz I'm going out of town and I'm not bringing my laptop with me so I had to save this for my device. I just want to read this myself and not claiming this story as my own for this is a story of CruelRuin
1. Chapter 1

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Metempsychosis

Chapter 1

Rebirth

He was not sure how he had gotten here.

The last thing he remembered was facing Kaguya; Team 7, reunited for one final battle. He remembered the feeling of Hagoromo's power, coursing through his body, strengthening him. He remembered Sasuke, for once, fighting side-by-side him like the brother he had always yearned for. He remembered the final offensive, with him and Sasuke trying to use the culmination of the Yin-Yang release to seal the mother of chakra, the look on her face as their hands touched her. What he did not remember was what transpired in the aftermath. He didn't remember the sealing, he didn't remember the aftermath, hell, he didn't remember actually succeeding.

But the entity in his mind, it spoke otherwise.

The chaos of the Ten Tailed Beast was never meant to be embodied. Not in the mind of a single person, at least. Its power was massive, so much so that even keeping it dormant caused Naruto a perpetual dull headache. Even Kurama's sealed hatred form hadn't succeeded in disrupting his inner peace quite as much as the true Tailed Beast's mere presence did. And that itself, was the crux of the problem.

The seal wasn't meant to function this way. It was never designed to seal such endless power into a human. The last time this seal was activated, the moon was created. An astral body that the empty body of the Juubi would begrudgingly call home for eons. While that seal had been broken before its time, the seal meant to replace it was, in every way, identical to the original. So, why had it taken the Juubi and deposited it in his body? And subsequently, how had he gotten here?

'Here', in simple words, was very similar to the astral plane inhabited by Hagoromo's perpetual, disembodied spirit. A realm where no physical entity could, or would, ever disturb his ever-watchful gaze. So mired was he in his transcendent realm of heavenly presence that he hadn't been able to summon Naruto and Sasuke to his realm without them being on the very doors of death. But, if Hagomoro's world was an infinite expanse of white, this world was severely limited in scope. It was an arena, one of the few he had ever seen in his life, walls endlessly towering up on each side of him, their make indiscernible and foreign. Looking around, all he could find was a singular desk, placed smack-dab in the middle of said arena. Curiosity overriding common sense, he sauntered over to it. There was one singular file on the mundane-looking desk. The file itself was nothing out of the ordinary, except for one small detail peeking out from the singular slip of white on it.

His name was on the file.

"My my, can't you see the sign on my desk that clearly states that I'm out for lunch?"

The feminine voice prompted Naruto to turn around. The owner of the voice looked quite out of place in her surroundings. Mostly because of how plain she looked. Behind him stood a woman who would have looked perfectly at home in a shop, or a reception. She was plain as day, with long, brown hair and a receptionist's smile. Nothing about the woman felt right, especially in the ethereal world that Naruto so abruptly found himself in. But it was progress. The woman didn't seem as confused as him, after all. And she had a desk. The only people who had desks were people who had their shit together. And the woman in front of him was a perfect example of such a person.

"Ah, sorry about that. I was just wondering how I got here." Naruto sheepishly commented, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. The woman chuckled, apparently expecting his friendly reaction. Naruto caught on to this. How could he not, after all, when the only people that were used to his mannerisms were the ones he had spent his entire teenage life with? It was apparent this woman knew more than she was letting on, and Naruto would get to the bottom of this. But for now, he needed answers.

"Pardon me, miss," Naruto hesitantly began, "But where is this place exactly, and how did I get here?" On hearing the question, the woman smiled. Something about the smile put Naruto on edge. It wasn't just any smile, after all. It had a barely-restrained omniscient quality to it. This woman knew stuff, much more than he did, at the very least. And she knew that he wasn't capable of understanding half of it. Naruto didn't like being looked down upon, and by merely smiling at him, this woman had managed to completely put him on edge. Said woman then took her seat behind the desk and locked eyes with him. Her smile was unwavering, and extremely unnerving.

"I think you need to rephrase your question, young one. To explain where we are would be impossible for me. A fact that is in no way helped by the extremely limited intellect you humans possess," she said — no, quoted, as if reading off a script she'd done millions of times before — completely disregarding the angry expression on her companion's face. "What you should be asking me, Naruto Uzumaki, iswhyyou are here," she concluded, doing nothing to mince her hurtful words. Naruto held back a string of expletives and asked her the needful. Her smile grew just a little bit.

"Well, the only reason you can be here is because you died."

Naruto stopped for a moment, his breath caught in his throat. It all made sense now. He didn't remember anything because there was nothing to remember. The Juubi was sealed inside him, and that was more than enough to kill any mortal, former jinchuuriki or not. But what that didn't explain was why he felt said power dormant in his body at this very instant. The Juubi was immortal, it definitely couldn't die. So why was it in this state? Sensing his confusion, the woman picked up the file in front of him and began reading.

"Naruto Namikaze, legally Uzumaki. Seventeen years of age. Died when the target of a sealing attempt was changed to him, locking the fully evolved Juubi inside him. Due to a clause pertained by an elder being, was able to kill an Immortal while doing so." She closed the file, dropping it back onto her desk. "I believe both you and I know who this Immortal is. Your ethereal body is currently disintegrating under the strain of keeping the Juubi's spirit at bay." That was all Naruto needed to snap himself out of his reverie. His body truly was, physically, deteriorating. He could see the tips of his fingers begin to disintegrate as the woman continued to speak, and it was terrifying, especially with how laissez-faire the lady appeared to be about it.

"You mentioned a clause. What do you mean by that?" he asked, eliciting a chuckle from his companion.

"That, would be me," she explained, her tone adopting a hint of mischief for the first time, instead of the bland monotony it has formerly exemplified. "And before you ask why. I did it because you, Naruto Uzumaki, belong to me."

Naruto took offense to that. He was his own man, made through combat, survival, and life experience. He had no one from the very beginning, and the only people with him at the end were the ones he had chosen to be precious to him. He was the very definition of a self-made man and this woman, someone who was clearly not human, much less connected to him in any way, claimed to own him? "That's bullshit!" He exclaimed, only for the woman to raise the file in her hand.

"This," she began, sounding less like a bored receptionist and now like a tired mother who was telling her child off for the umpteenth time. "Is a contract that claims that your soul belongs to me through the ages. The power you were born with; the life you were born into. It was all a part of this contract. If you doubt me, you may peruse this at your pleasure. Though seeing your current predicament, it would be in our best interest if I give you a shortened version."

The woman then got up and sauntered over to the rapidly disintegrating Naruto. "Are you familiar with the game of chess? No? Well, it doesn't matter. It is a game where two armies, black and white, fight each other till one side wins. The only winning condition is the capture of the opponent's king. Over a series of turns, two armies take turns to quell each other. There are six types of units. Pawns, which are basic foot soldiers. They are easily dispensable and hence, are the largest in number. Then there are the rooks, bishops and knights you only get two of each, and they are worth a whole lot more than a mere pawn. Then, there is the queen, the strongest unit on the board, funnily enough. And then, there is a king, almost worthless, and in need of constant protection. An acute reflection of human society, though a bit romanticized," she stated, confusing Naruto.

"Why are you telling me this?" he asked, only to be met by the woman's unnerving smile, her teeth suddenly become sharper and her eyes duller, almost like a serpent watching its prey, knowing there was only one outcome.

"If you consider the worlds to be chess boards, Me and my… partner… are the players. Except, we just put the pieces on the board, and they play the game out for us. Of course, worlds aren't just normal chessboards. For one, they are much more vast, so there are hundreds, if not thousands of pieces. It keeps things a lot more… interesting," she answered. "You, Naruto Uzumaki, were once lower than even a pawn on this board. Let us say that the powers inherited by you and the circumstances of your birth are what dictates a piece's worth. In that case, Sasuke Uchiha, a man born with great power, under dire circumstances, and generally revered by the public, was a queen." Naruto felt like laughing, but his disintegrating body reminded him that this wasn't really the time or the place to do so. "You, on the other hand, went through the traumatic experience of being orphaned at birth. You were left straddled with a Tailed Beast that you couldn't hope to control, with no bloodlines to speak of and with no mentor to help you become worthy and powerful." Her smile then dropped, leaving a very serious, business-like expression on her plain face, almost as if she the script she'd been reading off had been changed without her knowledge.

"But you didn't accept your fate. You lashed out, violently. You made friends, despite your heritage and means. You found mentors, and showed them your worth. You earned power, instead of having it showered upon you. You brought yourself into the chess match with an explosion, and ripped through it with impunity. You turned yourself into a piece that defied the basic laws of the game we immortals play. And that is why you find yourself here. Again, chained to a beast and left with nothing."

Naruto grunted, neither voicing affirmation or defiance towards her opinion. "So what? I did what was necessary to protect the ones I cared for. I don't need to answer to you. And you didn't dictate my actions, so I am barely even linked to you. So, why did you call me here? Was my torturous life not enough of a punishment? Or do you feel the need to gloat?"

This, surprisingly, elicited another smile from the woman. This one was genuine, and Naruto could tell. It was the smile parents gave to their children when they were proud. He had seen it on Sakura's mother's face too many times to count. And that itself was more unnerving than the fact that only the upper part of his body was now mired in reality, his limbs having spread into the air around him in minuscule particles, impossible for the naked eye to see.

"Your circumstances notwithstanding, the fact that you not only defied the rules of our game once, but twice, caught not only mine, but my partner's eye. You broke our universal, unbreakable rules twice, after all. And while similar anomalies have been detected in multiple worlds, you're the only one who has done it twice, in ways that were completely different from one another," she commented. Behind her, a black copy of Sasuke and Obito appeared, both sitting on different thrones of black. "Sasuke Uchiha and Obito Uchiha were both queens that belonged to my partner when our game began." As she did this, the statues began to morph. The thrones they sat on, faded to white, soon to be followed by the individuals themselves.

"Contact with you, though. Turned them into my queens, that too, without costing me anything. Under duress, pawns can turn into queens, but for an unknown piece to appear, one that can derail fate, able to rise from nothing and change what was originally a small part of an infinitely larger plan into a world defining event. The circumstances of its creation have to be… extraordinary." As she said this, her face was alit with something which could only be likened to orgasmic pleasure, a look of pure bliss and joy blossoming across her face. But as soon as it was there, it was gone.

She then pointed towards Naruto. "In the next 5 seconds, your body will shift to the board you will now be reborn in. Before you are born again, I will explain why I have done this. Why I have decided to give you a second chance, and what our new, revised contract entails."

Naruto was about to ask her another question, only to realize that his mouth had, at this point, dispersed. As the last vestiges of his eyes began to disperse into nothingness, he realized two irrefutable facts.

He was definitely speaking to a power that was above GOD itself.

And secondly, he really,reallywanted to punch her.

The area Naruto found himself in was, for lack of a better word, beautiful.

He didn't mean that in the normal sense of aesthetic, gods no. The place was a wasteland. It looked like a cross between a ruin and wilderness. Except, taking one's eyes off the wreckage, the place exuded an almost otherworldly aura. Nature's power was extremely potent here, natural for a sage like Naruto. A purple miasma surrounded him, but he knew that it wasn't poisonous. Else, the world would be crying out in agony and forewarning him, wishing to save its avatar (as was the nature of sages).

Truly, the place would have been perfect to be reborn in, except for the inexplicable presence of one, gigantic dragon that flew above him. So massive was it that its shadow covered more land than even the largest cloud he had ever seen (and he had seen a lot of clouds, thanks to Shikamaru and his habit of lazy cloud-gazing). The creature was massive, and its power could easily be felt all the way to where Naruto stood, yet he knew that the creature was no match for the Juubi.

And that is when he noticed that his headache was gone, and so was the Juubi's conscious.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" His companion asked, appearing next to him. There was no flash, she merely wasn't there before, and then she was. He noticed the change in her attire, though, although the rest of her remained the same, as bland as ever. Her formal clothing was gone, replaced by long, flowing robes. A crown of thorns sat on her head, and in her right hand, she held a scepter topped by an effigy of two eastern dragons locked in combat. That all was trivial, though. What really made a difference was that he could now feel her power. And it made the power of the Juubi feel insignificant in comparison, a drop of water compared to a tap. Maybe trying to punch her wasn't such a great idea after all.

"If you're wondering why you're in such a desolate land, don't worry, you're not being reborn here." She stated, dashing Naruto's hopes. "This is merely an interstitial land, a place where the things that the powers that be forget wash up. One day, you will return here to claim an artefact that will help you on your journey." While she explained his situation, she pointed towards a tower in the distance. When Naruto had just appeared in this world, mere minutes ago, before the dragon had drawn his attention. He too had noticed a surge of power emanate from the tower. Almost as if there was someone, or something in there, calling his name. It was by no means, an unpleasant feeling, but it was rather sad that the feeling would stay like so till he could finally resolve it.

Which brought him to his next question. "So, how long till I'm able to make my way here?" he asked, prompting his companion to adopt a thinking posture.

"Honestly?" she began. "You could make your way here any time you feel it is necessary. But I would recommend waiting. The two powers that reside in this… dimensional gap, are very territorial. To claim your reward, you will have to fight them. Knowing their powers and yours firsthand, I'd wager the fight would last months. So, it would be best to come here when there is no one, or nothing, awaiting your return."

Naruto nodded, accepting the answer as the best he would possibly get. "And what about the Juubi?" he questioned. "His power seems to have become one with my own. My chakra reserves are massive, and my eyes, they feel different. Did you have something to do with this?"

The woman nodded, confirming his theory. "You should look into this," she spoke, materializing a small, handheld mirror out of nowhere. Naruto took it from her, and was shocked at what he saw.

He had the Rinne-Sharingan in his left eye. The coveted third eye of Kaguya. The connotations of his newly acquired eye was not lost on him. With the massive reserves of chakra left behind by the Juubi, he could very well destroy the entire world at will. Not that he wanted to do that, of course.

"You'll need it to fight the enemies you will face," the woman commented. Noticing him looking in the mirror. "My companion, Kath, is quite angry due to the fact that I hold your contract. The fact that I'm using you to replace this world's king, a creature who died to a neutral piece, has made him extremely angry at me. Hence, he too, will be able to bring multiple powerful pieces into play." She said all this matter-of-factly, as if she wasn't speaking of beings capable of bringing about the destruction of the world manifold.

"Neutral pieces? What are those?" Naruto asked. The woman's explanation had made it clear that she and her companion, Kath, waged war using their own pieces. Equating the game of chess to shogi, a game favored by the people of his time, Naruto was able to deduce that these neutral pieces were not normally a part of chess either, the woman seemed to have caught on to his train of thought, though.

"Neutral pieces are the will of the world. They are creatures who are not defined by us, not created by us, and cannot be manipulated by us. The two creatures that inhabit this plane are neutral pieces, in your world, the Tailed Beasts were neutral pieces. Every single creature that hasn't been pitted in combat by either me or Kath are neutral pieces. Hence, they outnumber us by the millions Though, most of them aren't powerful enough to stand in your way." The last bit was added as an afterthought, possibly to pacify Naruto, who was understandably, getting a bit jittery.

"So, you're going to put me in this universe as your greatest asset. But why?" Naruto asked, his list of questions running thin, and the answers he was getting were less than adequate. The woman's face grew ever so slightly grim, showing Naruto that he was, at least, making some progress.

"This world is on the precipice of a war. A war where sworn enemies fight together against foes that beguile their very existence. The last time this happened, both me and Kath lost our kings. And this time, without our kings, we have no way of protecting the people of this world. Kath doesn't really care. Apparently, his new king too shows a lot of promise. But I am going above and beyond to bring you into this world, so that you can turn my forces into an army capable of fighting a war." She locked her gaze with Naruto's own, her sight so keen it felt like it was boring a hole into his soul. "You, Naruto Uzumaki, are, simply put, my insurance policy."

Naruto stayed silent for a moment. He had merely one last question left to ask, and in his mind, it was the most poignant one. "Why me?" He voiced, his tone quavering, barely above a whisper. He asked the question, sure, but his mind already knew this answer. He needed to hear it. He had just come from one hellish war, and he was just about to be flung into another. The knowledge that there were powers beyond his understanding that dictated the condition was said wars did not give him much reassurance either.

"I chose you because you are… well… you," the woman nonchalantly answered. "You are tenacious, fierce, powerful and now, experienced. Most of all, you are borderline impossible to truly hate. You make friends faster than anyone I know. And you can redeem people that all others have lost hope in. That is why I chose you, Naruto Uzumaki. You are a man who defies fate, I need you on my side," she answered, her gaze still as strong as ever, no longer a boring desk jockey, now a Madonna who could lead armies of countless worlds to a hopeless battle in high spirits.

It was then that Naruto realized that the creature in front of him, no matter all her shortcomings as an omnipotent being, did truly care. She didn't bring him in because she wanted to win this. No, she could definitely have found someone stronger, someone who wouldn't have needed such a sacrifice to bring into this world. By bringing him here specifically, she had allowed Kath to gain a huge lead on her. She didn't care about the game like her companion seemed to.

With that in mind, maybe it wouldn't be too bad working with her.

"I believe it is time for you to go now," she stated. "You will remember all of this, that is my parting gift to you. You will also gain powers that are localized to this world. And I suggest using them unless you truly need to call upon the power of chakra." She then raised her staff. "I am taking a huge risk by placing you in this world. Kath has no idea that we are currently having this conversation, or that you are aware of the world I'm sending you into. Hence, I'd recommend not drawing his attention till it is absolutely necessary."

Naruto merely nodded as a multicolored beam shot from the staff the woman held. "My name is Framp. I thought you should know," she stated with a smile. Naruto responded with a bright one of his own as his body started to fade.

It was then that he realized that his body wasn't just fading. It was shrinking. He was rapidly losing the physical strength that he had gained through endless practice. He was de-ageing! The smile on Framp's face gained a comedic quality to itself as she noticed the changes occur. Naruto looked at her, bewildered, as his vocal cords devolved to a point where he was unable to hold a coherent conversation. The only thing that stayed was his expression of abject betrayal.

"The wonder of childbirth is a glorious thing, Naruto. And now, you get to experience it again. First hand and lucid!"

Demons, creatures of immense power that Devils simply could not match. History spoke of a time when Demons were abundant. When legions of thousands flew on wings of darkness, locked in a perpetual war against the creations of light. Each and every one of them possessed powers that made even the Longinus pale in comparison.

The end of the first great war was hard on them. Demons were limited in number, after all. And he who sat on his radiant throne in Heaven held the very power of creation. He could create an unlimited number of Angels. And no matter how powerful the Demons were, they were whittled down by endless armies of white. In the end, Demonkind was eradicated. But they left their legacy behind. Devils, creatures of lesser evil, but with the power to adapt and survive, who took charge of becoming what their progenitors could not. These Devils carried on the great war, even though they were a new faction altogether. They were slated to die, crushed by the massive hordes of Heaven.

But luck shone on them, and another faction was born. One formed by Angels themselves. Dissent in their ranks caused chaos, and many an angel found itself cast from Heaven, wings darkened by heresy. These blighted Angels formed yet another faction, comparable to that of Devilkind. And under the leadership of the crafty Grigori, christened themselves as the Fallen.

Thus ensued a three-sided war. A war that went on for centuries. In the first quadrant of the war, the Angels held firm. They dealt massive blows to both the Fallen and the Devils. Such was the war that waged between the three factions. For every angel they felled, five more would take its place. What more, the Archangels, resplendent in their glory, took the field of battle by storm. They were creatures born to fight Demons on equal footing, and to pair them up against weaker adversaries just led to indiscriminate slaughter. Many victories were earned this way, with Devils and Fallen quelled mercilessly by the radiant blades of God's greatest creations.

Till one day, out of the blue, things changed. The balance shifted, so to speak, and the only indication of that happening was the sudden increase in the ranks of the Fallen. The next times the forces clashed, the status quo had changed. Angels were no longer the radiant, indomitable force they once embodied. They fell to Devils and Fallen, and none rose to replace them. Archangels, creatures that once embodied true might, fell to their equals on the other side of battle. The Grigori charged through fields of battle, now able to take the fight to their erstwhile brethren. And the Devils bred. They bred at speeds that could give humans a run for their money. A new breed of Devil was created, by the mixing of bloodlines. Super Devils, they were called, lauded as beyond even Demons by some, and four of them convened to lead their separated armies as one.

They were led by Rizevim Livan Lucifer, the prodigal son of the original Lucifer Morningstar and the demon-mother Lilith. With his faithful followers and his co-leaders, he too, made the field of battle his home. But it was apparent that at this pace, the three factions would only end this war when none of them survived. To end this, one side needed a trump card.

And today, the Devils were fated to get theirs.

"The signs are right, the stars read true. It is just as that magician claimed. Today, a Demon will be born. Stronger than the Dragons themselves," Creuserey Asmodeus stated. The Satan faction had been waiting for this day for over a hundred years, ever since the early days of the war. The original Crimson King, a human sorcerer with no par, had decreed that there would come a day, a day where the boundaries between the Dimensional Gap and the worlds would weaken. A child would be born that day, a Devil child, who would be much more than just a simple Devil. Harnessing the power of the True Demons of old, this child would be the first Demon born in over half a millennium. And today was the day. The seepage from the world beyond the rim was at an all-time high, and the demonic obelisks were unable to keep the eldritch energies at bay, and Devilkind felt its effects. Even though the seepage was too tiny to be a threat, magicians had been out applying purging spell-shields around the abodes of the Devils from the greater families.

Little did the houses know, the magicians served a secondary purpose. Demons bred at an expedited rate, and there was quite a bit of bad blood between the families that were part of the 72 pillars. Childbirth was something they hid with utmost secrecy. And usually, the Four Great Satans let this breach in decorum be forgiven. After all, the children born to the families from the 72 Pillars were powerful, and would soon be unveiled on the field of battle, young and full of promise. But today, the need for knowledge was dire. And the magicians would make sure than any child born today would be reported. The future of Devilkind hung in the balance, hence, the need for them to obtain that child was imperative.

"The child will be identified by the end of the night," Rizevim Lucifer stated, taking a swig of wine from the glass he held. "What concerns me is how to deal with the child. By all means, a Demon is higher-up the food chain than us Devils. And if we forcefully take the child away from its house, we could face a rebellion the likes of which the Devil world has never seen before."

Kataera Leviathan, mistress of water, nodded in confirmation. "We'll have to treat the child with both respect and caution. We'll give it gifts. Servants and powerful child Devils from the Extra Houses. We'll call on Houses Lucifuge and Abbadon, they too are expecting to have children. We'll give the child's family more of a say in how we do things, that should be enough to guarantee their loyalty."

Shalba Beelzebub grunted in affirmation. "We buy the parents, and we spoil the child. Typical. I hope this Demon is worth it, though," He concluded, voicing the doubt that was on the minds of all four of the Satans. Some of the older Devils remembered the Demons. They remembered the chaos that a single one of them could weave. By all accounts, such power was terrifying. If the four Satans failed to muzzle the beast before it grew its fangs, they'd pay heavily for it.

But Devils were creatures that worshipped power. They were drawn to it like moths to light. And hence, their course was already decided. As they sat on their thrones, content in their plan of action, the doors to their antechamber opened, and in rushed a group of magicians. Their leader was a nameless Devil from one of the Extra Houses, but the details didn't matter. What mattered was the news he had brought.

"My lord!" he spoke. "The Phenex clan have delivered. It is a girl who wields the long-lost black flames!" If the four Satans were shocked, they did not show it. Lucifer simply beckoned to his assistant, a young, female Devil from House Sitri. "Lina, contact the Phenex. Tell them that their child will now be under the direct supervision and training of the Four Satans. Also, tell them that the firstborns of Lucifuge and the Abbadon will serve the child as her personal retainers." Lucifer then paused for a second. "Oh, and tell the current Phenex head that we're organizing a private party for the heads of the 72 Pillars to celebrate the birth of his child, the True Demon." He added the last part dully, almost as an afterthought, no real emotion going into it. The assistant nodded before using her magic to teleport off. As she left, the last thing she saw was a victorious smile on her lord's face.

It was in all this hubbub, that another child was born. On the outskirts of the underworld, in an old, dilapidated castle, the wife of Neuer Abbadon, Sheila, was giving birth. And unknown to her, the child inside her womb was very much aware of what the hell was going on, and was certainly not pleased at the person who had left him in such a state. As the child was delivered, he started to wail, his vocal cords still unable to form coherent words.

"He has a powerful voice, my love." Neuer commented, Sheila looked at her child, finding it hard to concentrate due to her drowsiness.

"He's beautiful," she said. And the child was, quite beautiful. A blonde, blue eyed boy. Showing the best traits of both his Abbadon father and Belphegor mother. Sheila smiled and looked up at her husband, the love of her life. "Dear, do you have a name that we can call him? I believe It should be the man of the house who gets the last say in such matters."

Neuer's smile dropped as he racked his mind for names that could embody the sheer amount of pride that he felt. Almost unbidden, one singular name came to his mind. It wasn't a word he had ever heard of, but for some reason, he knew the meaning behind it. Maelstrom, or as the easterners called it…

"Naruto. We'll name him Naruto. Naruto Abbadon." And if baby Naruto could have rolled his eyes, he'd have done so. As he was still trying to come to terms with his current predicament, Neuer handed him over to his mother, and looking up at her beautiful face, he realized why Neuer had done so.

"Who's a hungry little boy?" Sheila playfully commented, ignoring how tired she was, as a shadow felt over baby Naruto's face. As he realized that he was being breastfed, he tried to exhume another choice string of expletives which, of course, came across as nothing but a garbled cry.

His childhood did not look like it would be a good experience.

"Are you nervous, son?"

Naruto looked up to see the unchanging, forever-youthful face of his new father. It had been sixteen years since he was born, and even if he hadn't already been informed about the fact that he was born into a society of Devils, he would have easily noticed that his parents just didn't seem to age. Also, learning that they were hundreds of years old also told Naruto that the same detention of age would face him once he too passed his prime.

And the answer to his father's question was, of course, no. Naruto had faced much tougher opponents than the Phenex lord that was currently greeting the Lucifuge family head a few yards away from him. He had faced those opponents and persevered. A mangy bird with the powers of regeneration did not even faze him. After all, each and every power had a limit.

Notwithstanding, he had a reputation to maintain. He was a member of a family hailing from the Extra Houses. As such, he was expected to have a healthy amount of fear and respect for the members of the 72 Pillars. Hence, he nodded. Sadly, his father picked up on his emotional state and chuckled. "That was a good display, Naruto. The head of the Phenex family isn't the most powerful or impressive Devil out there, but he's not the reason you're here."

"I'm here because of the contract, right?" he countered. "The one that basically gives us up to the Phenex's first born, like slaves." Neuer was surprised again by how astute his child was. Of course, he had no way of knowing that Naruto's ideals and knowledge came from his last life. He chuckled once again.

"Think of it as an easy way to climb the political ladder. The child you will be… serving… is the reason the Phenex enjoy the exalted power they currently possess."

Naruto sighed. "The True Demon, right? If she's anything like her father, it will be quite disappointing."

Neuer locked his gaze with his son's, trepidation apparent in his amber orbs. "Do not underestimate the demon, Naruto. You are strong. Our power runs through you. The Hole is a power that took me thirty years to master, you did it in twelve. You might be a prodigy, but the Demon too is one." Naruto could see the concern his father felt. Sixteen years, this man had raised him, sheltered him and loved him. Now that it was time to for him to let go. His father couldn't protect him from the machinations of the Satans. And Naruto was more than okay with proving that he wouldn't need to.

"Ah, Neuer, how are you?" Lord Phenex greeted his father.

"Persevering, as we are oft known to do, Lord Phenex," his father commented, faked reverence apparent in his voice. T

The lord then took note of Naruto, a quizzical look appearing on his face. "This, I presume, is your son. What is your name, child?"

Not breaching decorum, Naruto bowed. "Naruto Abbadon, at your service, Lord." He greeted. Unlike his father, though, his movements and voice were ever so slightly stiff, a fact that the centuries-old Phenex patriarch caught on to.

"Ah, seems your kid has some spunk. Youth, such a brilliant time. When anything you do is never truly beyond reproach," he stated, the mirth in his voice surprising the shinobi-turned-devil. Apparently, the lord was comparatively much more easy going than most of the other royals he had met. A genuine smile came to his face. Maybe working under him wouldn't be quite as harsh a fate as he imagined it being.

"Excuse him, lord, it seems his mother and I have spoiled him a bit," his father said, covering for his transgression. Lord Phenex didn't seem to mind all that much, though. "He can't hide his feelings, seems to have a sense of pride, and looks pretty strong. I believe those are good qualities in any Devil, birth being irrelevant."

Lord Phenex then started to move off, beckoning Naruto to follow. As the two entered the building, Naruto felt his father's telltale demonic signature vanish. From here onwards, he was on his own. Well, him and the Lucifuge girl following him.

And boy, the girl was a looker.

Silver hair and eyes to match, possessing an aristocratic look that wouldn't be foreign on a woman of royal birth. Her skin was alabaster, and overall, she exuded this feeling of untouchability. She was strong, make no mistake. Much stronger than almost any Devil Naruto had grown up with (sans his parents and others who'd fought in the Great War). He would estimate that as she was currently, she'd be a low-Ultimate Class Devil. But her power lay in subtlety. Unless her opponent could read her like he could, he or she would be in for a surprise of a lifetime. As such, Naruto took the chance to introduce himself to his newest peer.

"Hello, I'm Naruto Abbadon. And you'd be?" The girl looked at him, taking a second to size him up. If she noticed anything impressive, she didn't show it. Which either proved that Naruto truly was good at suppressing the obscene amount of power he possessed, or that the woman was extremely good at hiding her emotions.

"I'm Grayfia Lucifuge. Please take care of me," she stated in a chilly, professional tone. Naruto sighed, if he was to work with her, he'd have to get through the shell she had around herself. That could take ages, and that would take effort. Still, it was something he looked forward to.

The company of three then came to an open arena. The fact that such a large structure was housed inside the Phenex estate showed Naruto the difference between the 72 Pillars and the Extra Houses. All the Abbadons had was a rickety, old castle. He could see the same look of wonder as he had on his companion's face. Comparatively to the Abbadon and the Lucifuge household, most other families had much less. The fact that this disparity existed did not go unnoticed by the blonde Abbadon.

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More interesting than the arena itself, though, was the person who was currently using the arena. Misshapen forms of monsters lay burnt and charred around the periphery of one young, black-haired girl, who for some reason, gave Naruto serious Uchiha vibes. Other monstrosities stepped over their forebears as they circled the girl. On closer inspection, Naruto could see that even though the girl looked a bit winded, there wasn't a single scratch on her beautiful, immaculate visage. He could swear that there was some genetic imbalance that allowed Devil women to all be beautiful and… for lack of a better word… bountiful. As the monstrosities leapt at her, wings of black fire shot out of her back, surprising Naruto for a singular instant. He made to compare these black flames to those of Amaterasu, but the comparison fell short. While dangerous, the black fire that the Phenex used could not care to the god smiting hellfire of the Uchihas.

But the fire was still potent, as it ripped through the monstrosities without even a shred of resistance, transforming bones and flesh into ash and smoke. Naruto had to admit, he was impressed, though very little. As the girl faced off against her final opponent, a beast larger than the others, she noticed her father at the entrance of the arena. In order to make a show, she flew out of the path of her enemy as it charged. She then stayed in the air, right behind the creature, who had now found new targets. Naruto smirked.

"She's testing us." As he stated the obvious, the monstrosity charged towards him and Grayfia. The Phenex lord behind them noticed how Naruto's body tensed up in anticipation, similar to that of a man who was used to mortal combat, and relished every single moment of it. The creature then leapt, closing the distance between itself and its new targets. Grayfia was the first to react. Naruto's doubt was confirmed when a giant block of ice erupted from the ground, forcing the creature to slam into it mid-leap. Naruto followed up by jumping high, surprising his peer with the sheer amount of physical force such an action would require. He then locked his gaze on his target, which was currently struggling to regain footing. Naruto grinned, as he remembered the flair his friend and his mentor had used this certain skill with.

Naruto used a Devil sigil to shoot down, his foot aimed directly at the creature's head. As he connected, he felt the creature's armor crack, he felt his leg meet and pass through pliable flesh, almost like passing through wet paper. As he finally landed, he smirked.

"Dynamic Entry."

"Hmm, you two, you're strong. I wasn't expecting you to be able to take down that creature without my intervention," the Phenex heir spoke as she walked up to the two Devils that would now be under her command. The smirk on her face was ecstatic, and served quite well to place ease all comparisons Naruto could make between her and the Uchihas. Hell, no Uchiha could emote half as well as his 'master' was currently doing.

"My name is Aria, Aria Phenex." The girl pushed a stray length of hair out of her eyes. "I don't care who you are, but I care if you're strong enough to stay alive. From today onwards, you will be working under me. As such, your only job is to support me on my jobs. I hope you two will be able to do the needful. For your sake, purely, because if your efforts are sub-par, you'll be replaced, the Satans and their contracts be damned."

Naruto and Grayfia nodded in unison. The former intrigued by the confidence the Phenex exuded, even without any prior true combat experience. And the latter instantly enamored by the professional attitude her new superior embodied. Satisfied with the response, the Phenex member turned to retreat from the arena, beckoning her new followers to come with her.

"Oh, and by the way, welcome to the strongest team the Underworld has seen in centuries."

"Of all the missions we could have possibly gotten, why have we been sent to the human world?"

Naruto spared a second to look at Aria. Thirty years had passed since they became a team. Thirty years of painstakingly being the glue that held together his team, and he still couldn't understand why Aria hated the human world. Over the course of them being a team, they had completed more missions than any other team on record. With their varied powers and skills, no mission was ever too hard for them. Which is why it was coming as no surprise that the three of them were now only contracted for missions that were nigh on impossible for other teams to do. Which was partly why they found themselves currently in Greece, a country which, under great leadership, was proving to be the most dominant nation in the world.

By leadership, Naruto meant Sacred Gears.

It had taken the blonde shinobi a while to grasp the concept of these sacred gears. Relics bound to humans by God (still weird to know there was a guy who had the capital G and all that, but he digressed), that provided them a means to defend themselves against the occult. In theory, it was easy to understand. But considering the fact that these were weapons that could kill Gods, he figured there was a secondary reason for their existence as well. Though the entire concept of a human taking on a God amused him a bit. Who would be that suicidal, after all?

If the Juubi still had a will, he was sure it would be laughing inside him right now.

"Gremory and his team were severely injured in this area. They reported that the forces here could cause a hitch in our plans. We're here for pre-emptive defense. Consider it a holiday, guys," Naruto commented, lying down on a rock and choosing to ignore his teammates in favor of looking at the setting sun.

Aria sighed. "Gremory and his three mooks are merely inept. It wouldn't take much to send them scurrying away in fear. Could be a single Angel for all we know."

Behind them, Grayfia made a disappointed sound. "They aren't that bad, Aria. They did give us quite a fight during our Ultimate Class tournament match."

Naruto sighed. "Doesn't change the fact that they would have lost, had the examiner let us go on. None of us truly went all out in the fight, Sirzechs was constantly using his true form, while the rest too were going all out already, stalling for him. Aria didn't even use her flames, and I didn't even have to use the Hole."

Grayfia sighed. "Well, it isn't their fault that the two of you are monsters."

Naruto chuckled. "The only monster on our team is our resident Demon, I'm just a simple medic," he concluded, earning a blank stare from both his teammates.

"You might be a medic," Aria started. "But not many medics can punch an Archangel six ways to Sunday. I think Raphael got a little cranky when my flames proved to be greater than his, but I wasn't the one who punched Raziel through a mountain."

Naruto groaned. "Don't remind me of that guy, he was too mysterious for his own good. Kept going on about how I wouldn't understand half the stuff that went on in his mind."

Aria just shrugged. "I feel his pain; you are a grade-A dumbass after all." Naruto let the comment pass, but noticed how Grayfia chuckled. It was good for her, being herself once in a while. It took Naruto the better part of a decade to get her to break character, and even now, she'd go back to being what society expected her to be all the time.

"Well, look who's laughing. Mind sharing the joke with little old me?" Naruto commented, making Grayfia choke on air.

Aria, not one to miss an opportunity, pressed where it hurt. "Bet she's thinking of Sirzechs right now. Tell me again, what is it about him that you find cute exactly? Cause I still cannot see it." Naruto butted in again, seeing his opening.

"Mou, you find that dullard cuter than me? My, I should dump you for that, Grayfia-chan!"

A dark shadow passed over Aria's face. Naruto had forgotten that she did not like it when Naruto brought up his relationship with Grayfia when they were working. Said something about it 'breaking professional decorum.' So, Naruto decided to shut up. Grayfia, having gotten the point, concluded her answer as fast as she could.

"Definitely not cuter than you, Naruto. And I didn't ever call him cute, I just said that I found the passion he had behind his entire 'equality' speech during the examinations quite admirable. That is all."

Aria cleared her throat loudly, getting their attention. "So, the scouts state that Gremory's little gang were last seen along the northern ridge of Mount Parnassus. The mortals in the area too have reported occult phenomena along said region. As of now, we will split up and search the mountain for the perpetrators. When you find them, report to me. Our communication glyphs will be active till the end of the mission. Do not engage alone. Now, go!"

Naruto nodded as he summoned his wings. His companions followed suit. They flew up, gaining altitude over the mountain. As they reached the peak, it became increasingly apparent that whatever had taken out Gremory's group had in fact been much, much more powerful than any stray Angel.

Because the top of the mountain was ravaged, completely obliterated from the face of the earth.

"Oh, so it is one ofthosedays."

"Longinus. Of all the blasted things it could have been, it's the Longinus.Two of them!"

While Naruto could definitely sympathize with the frustration his 'master' felt, he felt his role was better served by thinking of a way to resolve the bloody mess that they had gotten into. The two Longinus in question were the Divine Dividing and the Boosted Gear. Locked again in endless battle against each other.

And oh, what a battle it was. They had been fighting for the entirety of two days or more, considering Gremory's clique had gotten here around that time frame. Their weapons were battered, and even their balance breakers were beginning to crack. Most of all, their surroundings were what painted a better picture of their battle, their battleground reflecting this, or the lack thereof.

The mountain peak had been decimated to the point where the two Dragon-wielders were now fighting inside a crater of their own making. If they had noticed them, they didn't show it. So engrossed with each other were they that their surroundings simply didn't matter. Such was their hatred for one another, such was a rivalry that transcended past multiple lifetimes.

"They haven't noticed us yet. We might be able to call for backup. Possibly get a Satan to help us out," Grayfia added. While it was true that the three of them had yet to be discovered, exiting their current hiding spot would increase the chances of that happening manifold. It was a risk, yes, but so was fighting them. If push came to shove, Naruto was more than sure he could take them down, Dragon and all. But he didn't wish to reveal the extents of his power.

"We should fight them. There are two of them, and they have obviously been at this for a while now. They are weak, we are strong. There is no need to involve the Satans," Aria stated.

Grayfia gave her a disapproving stare. "Weakened they might be, but they are still Dragons. I don't think it is a good idea for us to engage them, period." As the two bickered on, Naruto noticed the warriors stop fighting. In unison, their armored heads turned towards the group of three Devils.

"Guys, I don't think we get to choose any longer." Naruto stated, pointing towards the two warriors, who were now aiming their cannons at their motely group.

Aria was the first to react, her wings of fire already extended in anticipation. "Team! Scatter and engage!" she yelled as she dodged the two blasts of obscene power that headed her way. She then maneuvered mid-flight and delivered a blast of fire to the white warrior. Naruto meanwhile, accelerated straight into the red knight, who swung his sword (seemingly an extension of the Boosted Gear, possibly some form of a Subspecies Balance Breaker) in response. The sword was trapped mid-swing by Grayfia's ice, allowing Naruto to punch the red knight into the mountain. Having distanced themselves, both sides regrouped.

"You survived our initial barrage. Impressive, for Devils," the white knight spoke, ephemeral blue motes of power dispersing from the ethereal wings on his back.

The red knight dislodged from the mountain and flew up, joining his white rival. "Indeed, you are better than the last four. They weren't even worth killing."

Aria smirked. "If you are trying to compare us to Gremory and his flunkies, you're making a very wrong comparison. We're leagues above those buffoons." She chuckled. "Do give me your names before you keel over and die, though. I like to know who myvictimsare." Behind her, Naruto sighed, leave it to Aria to taunt opponents that could kill her twice over before she could so much as blink. The two knights took her impending threat as something of a joke, as was made apparent by their laughs.

"Sure, princess. My name is Davion, Scion of the Great Welsh," the red-scaled knight proclaimed, bashing his sword on his cannon.

His companion, though, was a lot subtler in his retort. "I have no name, but you may call me Aspro."

Aria's smile grew wider. "I am Aria Phenex, True Demon of the underworld. Now, do me a favor and try to put up a good fig-" Aria's taunt was cut midway when Aspro flew at her with speed that she couldn't hope to match. She was barely able to avoid his sword as it pierced the air where her head was a second ago. She lashed out with a kick, only to be blocked by the knight's seemingly impervious armor. Naruto moved to intercept, but was forced to defend against Davion, who moved in between him and Aria at speeds rivalling his eternal nemesis.

"Now, it wouldn't be sporting if I allowed their fight to be interrupted, so, why don't you fight me instead?" The dragon knight spoke as he lashed out at Naruto with his sword. Naruto easily dodged it and planted another fist on the knight's face. This time, though, the knight wasn't flung quite as far as he was last time. "The same tactic won't work against me twice!" he stated. Naruto then felt the knight's already immense power double. "You'll have to do much more than that to take me down."

Before Naruto could react, the knight was behind him, his charged arm-cannon pointed right at Grayfia. Naruto reinforced his wings with chakra, intercepting the blow. Sadly, he couldn't completely block out the explosion. As a result, Grayfia was knocked away, unconscious, and Naruto was sent spiraling off the mountain.

Aria saw this and grimaced, the knight fighting her was the wielder of the Divine Dividing, and he knew how to use it. Every time they two connected, she felt her power dip by half. The Phenex regeneration was keeping her in the fight, but it was almost impossible for her to gain any distance from her quarry. She had to do something, and fast.

"Is this much fight enough for you, princess?" Aspro commented as he lashed out with his sword again. Aria found herself eating her own words as the sword nicked her stomach, halving her power again. The only way she could win here is if she used the one attack that reinforced her belief that she truly was a demon and not just a devil. She sent a giant blast of fire at her opponent. It served its purpose, as the knight chose to disengage. She then willed all her fire into existence, surrounding herself in a giant ball of black fire, the all-consuming light of which blotted out the dull orange rays cast by the setting sun.

"Witness the true power of a Demon!Supernova!"

The ball of fire then began to expand outwards, destroying every single thing in its reach; rocks melted under the sheer heat of what amounted to a small star. The dragons raised their arms in defense, incapable of escaping the rapidly expanding ball of doom.

And for a second, there was silence.

Then, the ball of fire dispersed, the flames burning out, running out of demonic energy to feed their existence. And Aria dropped to the ground, unconscious. Before she hit the magma underneath her, Naruto appeared in a burst of speed, catching her unconscious body. She'd be alright in thirty minutes, thanks to the regeneration factor of the Phenex. Naruto would have transported her back to the foothills, like he did to Grayfia. But currently, he had bigger issues.

As the light from the supernova faded, Naruto realized that in their last bid for survival, the two knights gave up their bodies to their tenants. In the crater now stood two dragons, each resplendent in their own bodies. Each capable of destroying the very mountain they stood on, and each, staring at the Devil responsible for their current predicament.

"That stung," the dragon who was once Davion commented. Contrary to what he said, his scales weren't even charred by the flames, seemingly unaffected in the slightest.

"Who knew that the little bird held such power?" his rival chimed in, spreading his wings. "Still, now that our pesky hosts are out of the way, we can fight with our true capabilities," the dragon, Albion, commented.

The other dragon, though, seemed to have eyes only for the Phenex who had cost him his mortal host, his current form nothing more than a transitory masque, as no human body could hope to withstand the full, unfiltered power of a Dragon inside of them. "Be that as it may, I cannot continue our fight till I know that nothing else will interrupt it. I believe we'd be best served by removing that pesky bird from this mortal plane."

Naruto chuckled. "I'm afraid I cannot let you do that. It would reflect poorly on me as her retainer if I allowed her to fall prey to two overcooked wyverns."

The red dragon, Ddraig, chuckled. "Even in the face of death, you find the time to crack a joke," he started. "But what can you do? Your master in indisposed, and your other companion might as well just die, for all she's worth."

Naruto let out a laugh, confusing the two dragons. Their confusion only grew when one of the boy's eyes morphed into a red ripple, commas dotting it. "You two are Dragons, that might be true. But you were enslaved, forced into prisons of iron, and left to rot," he stated, angering the duo he currently faced. "Now, let me remind you of something you seemed to have forgotten in your delusions of omnipotence."

"Chibaku Tensei (Planetary Devastation)!"

The two Dragons were instantly surrounded by an endless barrage of rocks. The two Heavenly Dragons were lifted up, their bodies crushed by countless amounts of molten rock that together, formed a gigantic, cohesive sphere. As the planetoid was lifted above the mountain, all that protruded from the giant planetoid were the heads of the two dragons, bewildered and, for once, afraid. Because the devil who they thought of as worthless now stood beneath them, a gigantic, ethereal monster with ten tails surrounding his body. And where the… thing's mouth should have been, a gigantic orb of darkness was forming. So great was the orb's power, it was hard to even look at it, their instincts screaming at them to run, that their fate was sealed the moment it touched them. As the orb stopped growing, the blonde Devil smirked.

"Let me remind you what fear is.Bijuudama!"

That night, the True Demon of the underworld was welcomed back by the Satans themselves. The story that she had single-handedly taken down two dragons with one attack was spreading through the masses like wildfire. The confused Phenex was informed by her partner and medic that the Dragons perished in her flames, consumed by the supernova. Something she was reluctant to believe, but was forced on her due to lack of evidence that proved otherwise.

That night, there was a great celebration in the underworld. As the True Demon had triumphed other the Heavenly Duo. The title of Dragonslayer would precede her name forevermore. And there was nothing she could do about it. Her retainers too, were praised, to have been able to fight against the Dragons alongside her, even though they were both incapacitated early on.

And that night, a young reincarnated shinobi slipped away from the party, his secret safe with him.

Two hundred years.

Two centuries had passed since the fateful day Naruto was reincarnated in the Underworld. The first century had been comparatively simple, if not overly exciting. Him, Grayfia and Aria had spent the entirety of their first century taking an active part in the war of the three factions. They had proved that they had no equal on the field of battle. Numerous were their victories, and their losses were none. Their prowess on the field of battle had earned them both, accolades and status. And with the public being acutely aware of their power, they had become three of the most known faces in the Underworld

The Dragon Slaying Demon, Aria Phenex.

The Ice queen, Grayfia Lucifuge

And the Smiling Face of Death, Naruto Abbadon.

Naruto still found it weird how even his position as a medic still didn't change people's perception of who he was. After all, he had fought off many strong foes during his time on the field. But both he and Grayfia paled in comparison to the popularity Aria had received. The Four Satans took every chance possible to shower her with praise and adoration, and she basked in it. She was a household name in the Underworld, and had rejected hundreds of suitors from multiple great families. She was what every Devil aimed to be. And for her, it was glorious.

As such, Naruto didn't care about fame. And that paid off as the second century of his life took a turn for the worse. The War was coming to an end, as was apparent to see. The forces of Heaven and those of the Fallen could no longer support an all-out war. Archangels and Grigori had fallen in battle, and there was no way to replace them. Heaven simply couldn't push on at the same pace as they once did. And less Angels meant less fallen. On the other hand, Devils were still reproducing, creating new soldiers bred for war, albeit not at a grand pace. Hence, the Satans made the push to keep the war going. Their goal was simple, to eradicate their timeless enemies once and for all.

Sadly, even the Devils had their limits. Taunting the Fallen and the Angelic Host could lead to the two sides uniting against them. The Underworld could not survive such a pincer attack (it was doubtful that even the Demons could have), and the War, hence, promised mutually-assured destruction. Devils, being creatures that valued power and survival over everything else, were divided between two factions. These factions were united by their primal instincts. One wanted to fight and attain more power for Devilkind, while the second simply wished to survive. And hence, the Underworld devolved into chaos. Devil killed Devil in the city streets. The opposition, led by the Houses Gremory, Sitri, Glasya-Labolas and Astaroth, gained many supporters, thanks to the natural leadership skills that Sirzechs possessed. But for all their numbers, they lacked military prowess. On the other hand, the Satans had their pieces, they had Ultimate Devils by the dozen, and like a cherry on the metaphorical cake, they had the True Demon and her two retainers, more alike a force of nature than anything.

And hence, the two retainers were the ones sent to quell the largest groups of resistance. Aria was too powerful to be sent, considering someone needed to be ready to defend the Satans themselves, as if their own powers were not enough. Hence Naruto found himself embroiled in civil conflicts around the nation. Many a time, he had faced heads of the 72 Pillars, only to leave them in a pool of their own blood. It wasn't something he enjoyed doing, sure, but it was his job. And the sooner it ended, the more grateful he'd be. He didn't care which side won. He had made his mind to leave either way.

The moment this war ended, he'd leave for the dimensional gap. The nagging feeling in his head was growing, it had been growing over the last decade. And now, the means to get to the elusive dimensional plane were within his grasp. The power of the Hole, which he had gained from his Abbadon heritage, had evolved. And it had opened up a new world of possibilities for him.

Added to that, he had no ties left to the Underworld. In order to be recognized by the Satans, Devils from the Extra Houses had to cut all ties with their families. By ascending to the rank of an Ultimate Devil, Naruto had done so, as had Grayfia. He was no longer accountable for his house, and his parents understood that.

Even in gatherings, they no longer acknowledged his existence. That was the curse of being a member of an Extra House. He had never made any real friends during his two-hundred-year long life. Devils were a secretive bunch, and their friendships were decreed by contacts and alliances more often than not. Aria didn't care where he was, she had her family and the Satans on her plate already. And his last reason for staying, Grayfia, had broken up with him mere weeks ago.

Which is why it came as quite a surprise when she asked him to meet her in a secluded location in the city's slums. Grayia wasn't one to ask for favors. In the century and a half that he had been with her, not once had she asked for a single one. And now, merely a few weeks after having broken his heart, she had asked for her first. This vexed the blonde Devil, and that led to him strolling down the slums that he was once brought up in. He only remembered some of the streets, but being two hundred years old did that to even the best of memories. Things had changed, times had changed, people had risen from these streets, and people had drowned in their own blood in these streets. But he stayed constant.

"Naruto! This way!"

The blonde was broken out of reminiscence by his ex's stern voice. Looking around, he found the source of the sound a little further down the road, poking her head out of an abandoned house, resplendent in her beauty even with the disconcerted frown on her face. Naruto followed her lead into the house, tuning out her voice as she thanked him for coming to her aid. He steeled his heart. He was by no means okay with the proximity he currently held with the woman he had loved for so long. But she had asked for a favor, and he would grant it to her.

"We need to hurry; their condition is worsening," she exhumed, leading Naruto into what appeared to be a basement shelter. As his demonic eyes stabilized to the darkness, what he saw stunned him. The place Grayfia had led her into was the medical chamber of the very foe they were currently fighting. And on the three beds lay the people who were spearheading this revolution. Serafall Sitri, Akuja Glasya-Labolas and Falbium Asmodeus. Beside them stood the heart of the revolution, Sirzechs Gremory himself. The three incapacitated Devils were in bad shape, their powers were being rapidly dispelled by the black goo that covered them, and Naruto knew where the goo came from.

But that wasn't the question that came to his mind.

"Grayfia," he begun, his voice filled with steel, cold as the Ninth Layer of Hell. "Why have you called me here?" The silver-haired Lucifuge flinched at the tone. It wasn't something she had ever heard or seen Naruto use, but here he stood, unmistakable in his resplendent power and understandable confusion.

She cleared her throat, shaking off the effect Naruto had on her. "They faced Lord Barbatos in battle, while they did take him down, they were struck by his attack. We cannot get the substance off them, and our healers can't do anything. I need you to help," she said, a slight, pleading tone accompanying her erstwhile formal request.

Sirzechs, feeling the need to join in, walked up to the shinobi. "Naruto, I know this is sudden, but you are possibly the only person who can help us here."

Naruto locked his eyes with the Gremory heir. "You started this war, Gremory. You knew going in that there would be casualties. Yet, when faced with the death of your comrades, you come to the enemy for help." He drew a kunai at speeds that the red-haired Devil couldn't even dream of being able to follow. "Give me one reason not to strike you four down and end this war right now."

Before the red haired Devil could respond, a wall of frost appeared between him and the blonde. Naruto jumped back, surprised by the sudden attack. He regained his bearings in record time, as he drew his second kunai. Before he could respond, though, he caught sight of his assailant. Grayfia, the woman he loved and cherished, now stood between him and the four seeds of rebellion, her arms defiantly channeling her potent ice magic. "If they die, so do I," she stated, glaring at Naruto with defiant eyes. For a second, Naruto had the urge to respond in kind. But then his high faded and he realized who he was facing.

"You know that what you're doing is tantamount to treason? That you'll be killed if you are discovered?" Naruto asked, his voice uncharacteristically concerned. Sirzechs stepped out from behind the wall of Ice, his face hesitant, his gait heavy.

"Naruto," the redhead began. "If the Satans win this war, it won't matter. We'll all die." He then walked over to the blonde Abbadon and handed him a scroll. "That is a list of the families that have been eradicated by the wars. And this." Sirzechs handed him another scroll. "Is the list of Devils that can reproduce. You should definitely read that one, your name is on it." Sirzechs then sat down next to his immobile comrades. "Read them and see why for yourself."

Intrigued, Naruto went over the scrolls. The revelation that the information held caught him by surprise. "Only forty of the seventy-two families remain, and only seventy notable Devils can currently breed. These numbers are paltry compared to what the Satans revealed!" Sirzechs nodded in response.

"We cannot continue our war with Heaven, even given time. Our race is too broken to go to war." Sirzechs revealed. "And yet, the Satans want to throw us back out there, spilling our blood to wage a war none of the three sides want. And if we, by some miracle, win. They plan to throw us against the humans. And you, of all people, know how dangerous humans can be, when given the right tools."

Naruto nodded, moving over to the three incapacitated Devils. He could save them, but doing so would make him an accessory to treason. While he could easily escape the Underworld, he didn't want to leave the people he cared for here to rot. "Sacred Gears," he stated. "God's gift to mankind, weapons we are not well-equipped to fight."

Sirzechs nodded, trepidation easily visible on his face. "So, will you help us, Naruto Abbadon?"

The blonde didn't respond verbally, instead, he summoned the green, healing chakra he had become known for using to great effect. "If we plan to take down the Satans, we need to act fast," he commented, as smiles of relief spread on the faces of both his companions. "Your companions will take a week to heal. Once the week is over, you must retreat from battle. I have seen how you fight, and trust me, you're not even in the same league as the Satans." He then pointed at Grayfia. "Take her with you, I will guard these three. Secure a place where you four can train. Once they are healed, I will relocate them there."

"And what do we do then?" Sirzechs questioned. "The Satans won't just sit quietly while we grow stronger!" He was silenced by Naruto's raised hand.

"Grayfia and I will create time for you, a year at max, six months' minimum. I will personally oversee your training, make sure you can defeat the Satans. We strike at the end of next year."

Sirzechs was flabbergasted. The man who was willing to take him down a mere minute ago was now offering to take on his comrades as pupils? "You'd do all that for our revolution?" He asked, again, his gaze was greeted by the unflinching cerulean of the man who he had just haphazardly drafted to his cause.

"I'm not doing this for your revolution, make no mistake." Naruto then gazed at Grayfia, her lovely visage still doing unspeakable things to his mental state. "I don't care who wins this war, I will fight in it and see it to the end, that is all I promised myself. I'm doing this because she asked me to."

"In for a penny, in for a pound, huh?" Grafia commented, her rare, playful side shining through in her moment of happiness.

Naruto too, chuckled dryly. "Ah, a British proverb, how suitable."

"Now, move. We do not have a minute to waste."

The next year was remarkable in Devil history for two reasons, one, the spearheads of the revolution, Gremory and his alliance, disappeared from the field of battle. They were replaced by the True Demon's two retainers. Being members of the Extra Houses, they were taken as a joke. Their feats of combat were originally taken as byproducts of being on the same team as the True Demon, and they were all but expected to keel over when faced by a Devil from the families.

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That, was their gravest mistake.

Naruto and Grayfia ripped through battlefields, both winning the revolutionary armies many battles that were considered unwinnable. Alone, each of them proved equal to an army, together, they resembled a primordial force of nature. They kept the forces of the Satans at bay, and they did so in the most effective manner possible.

By kidnapping the Devils that lead those armies.

Which lead to the second reason. Many such armies later chose to align themselves with the revolutionaries. Their heads defecting to the other side of the field of battle. Sirzechs was a natural-born leader, and he was well versed in the dealings of the court, thanks to his upbringing as a Gremory. He cut deals where he could, took hostages where he could, and tortured whoever was left. Most Devils broke at his feet, joining his army, be it for political gain, self-preservation, or plain old fear.

All this time, as the war raged on, Naruto spent time with the four Devils who had their eyes on the thrones that the Satans currently called their own. He trained them whenever he could, bringing out their potential, of which there was no lack. Powerful bloodlines bred powerful children, and these were the best of the best. He grew close to three, Serafall, Falbium and Akuja. The first was childish, but powerful. She held her morals above all, and would never abandon a teammate. She was instantly smitten with him, but would never show it, much to the dismay of her teammates. Akuja was a smart man, and Naruto, with his knowledge of war, was more than a match for him, on the training field and off. Falbium was lazy, a trait he shared with his current trainer. They would often talk when they both rested, gazing at the fake sky of the Underworld and staring at fake clouds blow past.

The one he couldn't bear was the Gremory. While he could understand that Sirzechs wasn't an evil man, he did not like the self-righteous posturing the Devil was so fond of. His aristocratic, passive way of dealing with issues was anathema to the blonde Devil, who preferred to solve his issues with a much more active approach. Still, the man held his ideal above all, and he could respect that. Apparently, that was what drew Grayfia to his cause.

One year, he had spent, repeatedly smiting the four Devils to the ground, over and over again. Yet, they would always get up. And every time they did, they came at him stronger and smarter than before. Before long, he found himself using the power of the Hole to fend them off, and at the end of the year, they were hitting hard enough for him to take them seriously. If anyone could do it, other than him, it would be them.

Trained and rested, today was the day that they assaulted the Satans' seat of power, Castle Inferno. Their army was currently battling the main force directly under the Satans, the largest army of the Underworld. It was all a ruse, as the six Devils who truly mattered made their way directly to the castle.

"Are you sure we're ready for this, Naruto?" Serafall asked, her beautiful face set in a permanent frown.

The blonde nodded. "As ready as you'll ever be. You four, with Grayfia, pose a serious threat to the Satans in there." Naruto pointed at the castle. "I, meanwhile, will buy you the time necessary to take them down. Once the battle begins, I will be unable to provide you guys support, so everything that happens in there is up to you."

Grayfia cocked one eyebrow, slightly surprised. "Why? Where will you be?" she questioned, earning a chuckle from her ex. Naruto then looked up towards the sky.

"In our year of training, I believe you guys have forgotten that the Satans have one final line of defense." It took his companions a second to realize who he was talking about, and Serafall was the first to respond, her mouth agape in abject terror.

"No!" she exclaimed. "Shit! How could we have forgotten? The Demon guards the Devils that dwell within. It was the only part of the revolution that we could never figure out a counter against!" her voice gained a pleading quality. "Naruto, you can't! She's a Demon, both literally and figuratively."

"But so is he," Grayfia stepped forth. "Naruto himself is a Super Devil only in name. I could hold her back, but not for long. Among us, he's the only one who can buy us the time needed to fulfil our objective." There was terror in her voice, but it was restrained, as much for her own sake as her companions.

Sensing the tension, Naruto chuckled. "It's okay, guys. I was on her team for the better part of a century. I have some tricks up my sleeves. I'll make sure to buy you enough time to complete your mission."

His laugh was the final straw, as Serafall began to cry. Sirzechs stepped forward as well, concern apparent on his face. "What good is our victory then? If we lose you, we lose everything!" he stated, making Naruto laugh again.

"Now now, you're exaggerating things. You have a dream, an Ideal. And I'm willing to take a dance with death, just to see it fulfilled." He lied, he had no intention of dying. "And I told you once before, Gremory, you started this war knowing full-well that there would be losses. Have the backbone to finish what you started… Plus, I'm not going to die here. I have a few things to do before I keel over."

Sirzechs nodded. "I'll keep you to that. Best of luck," he muttered, before running off towards the castle, where his date with destiny awaited. Grayfia gave him a single nod, a grateful look on her face. Naruto expected nothing more.

Akuja stopped for a second, offering his hand to Naruto, confused he shook the proffered hand, eliciting a smile on the grey-haired demon's face. "That," he stated, "is a bond of brotherhood. It promises your safe return. Don't you dare break it." Naruto smiled and nodded, choosing to remain silent. The Devil then ran off after his friends.

Falbium simply stared at Naruto, his blank look unfazed despite his current predicament. "Don't die," he offhandedly commented. "It would be too much work, arranging a funeral." Naruto chuckled. "Duly noted." He responded, getting a nod out of the lazy Devil, who then sauntered off after his comrades.

"Naruto," Serafall began, her voice quivering. "Please, live. That's all I ask. Please. Promise me, just this once." Naruto paused for a second, genuinely touched by his fellow Devil's sentiment. He had to remind himself again, as he found himself doing over the last two hundred years, that these were Devils, closer to humans than the monstrosities he had faced throughout his life.

Uncharacteristically, he hugged her, bringing her close to him. "I promise, Serafall, that I will live."

Serafall, while initially surprised, broke down in his hug, clinging closer to the Devil she had grown closer to in one year than any other. "When you come back, we'll have a party. Once that is done, I have something to show you," Sera quietly commented, breaking the hug and slowly walking off. A few yards away, she turned to get one final look at the person she had fallen in love with, before averting her eyes and dashing off.

"Well, that was a thing. You can come out now, Aria," Naruto stated. He knew she was there; she had been there from the very beginning. Listening, observing, biding her time. He knew why she let them go. She didn't care for the Satans. Through the entirely of the conversation, her eyes were only focused on him. As she stepped out of the shadows, he took a moment to size her up. She had definitely grown stronger, much stronger. She held around herself an aura of abject betrayal. But even surrounded by all that negativity, she was undeniably beautiful.

"What a sappy goodbye. Makes it hard to see why you would abandon me for them," she stated, bitter poison lacing her words.

Naruto sighed, "I do not abandon my friends, Aria. You are on the wrong side. The Satans will only cause the destruction of our race." Naruto would have explained the reasons why, but Aria wasn't in a mood to listen.

"I don't care about those old hoots. I care about the fact that both you and Grayfia defected. You left me here, alone. They wouldn't let me defect, after all. I was their trump card. They took my family hostage, even my little brother. And then, they dared me to defect." She spoke, her volume rising in anger, the temperature increasing, tongues of flame randomly flickering into existence. "Not once did you tell me your intentions. One day, I was cheerfully having lunch with you, and the next thing I know, you descend on the field of battle, slaughtering the Devils you once fought for!"

Naruto grimaced. "There was a reason for my actions, I would tell you, but you aren't willing to understand."

A smile appeared on Aria's face. Not one of the genuine smiles that Naruto had once become so used to, but a feral, cold one. "I got my explanations a long time ago, you lying filth. When were you going to tell me about the Dragons?" she shot back, surprising Naruto. She noticed his hesitation and chuckled. "When you decided to betray me, I asked for permission to leave for training," she elaborated, tossing him a proverbial bone. "I left this world, and headed to the human realm. There, I found Dragons. Two of them. And I fought them, over and over again. They were named Tannin and Tiamat, two Dragons much lower on the food chain than the ones I 'supposedly' killed. And let me tell you, Dragons don't burn easily. They laughed at my fire, telling me that Dragons were fire incarnate, just like us Phenex. Fire feeds them, it can never get through their scales. The Dragons themselves wield flames that could then, put my own to shame." She smiled again, this time, her smile was akin to that of a maniac. "One year, I fought them, I traded fire against them. And by the end of it, I was barely able to force a draw. And you know what makes this worse? Both these Dragons once faced losses against the two I killed, or should I say, you killed, oh True Demon?"

Naruto didn't flinch. Aria was always perceptive, and he knew that one day, his secret would be revealed. She wasn't quite done yet, though. "You were born on the same day as me, but no one cared, so mired were they, looking for the Demons in houses of nobility, that they never considered that maybe, just maybe, they were looking in the wrong place after all… It doesn't matter though. Today, I will take you down, with the powers that I have earned. And all will be right with the world again."

Naruto smirked, but there was no mirth behind the action. "I do not wish to fight my first and best friend, Aria. But something tells me that if I don't, you'll go after Grayfia." His eye morphed, red replacing cerulean in a flash of dulled light, darkness drawing closer to him, as if it were welcoming him. "And that, I cannot allow. So come at me, Aria Phenex. Show me your power, student of dragons!"

"With pleasure!" the black-haired false Demon yelled as she charged at her erstwhile best friend.

"WHY!"

Aria yelled as an unseen force broke her body yet again, propelling her through dozens of buildings and delivering her into the tarmac. Her regeneration kicked in instantly as she propelled herself off the pavement, which was duly destroyed by a fist, followed by the body of the man she had decided to fight. They had barely been fighting for a few seconds, yet her body had been incapacitated at least a dozen times. If not for her regeneration, she'd have been rendered unable to fight in the first few seconds of combat.

To add insult to Injury, Naruto wasn't even trying to kill her. He was only trying to take her out of the fight each and every time he appeared in front of her, with speed that she couldn't hope to match, his fist drawn to deliver a punch, she could see the pain and regret in his eyes. He didn't want to fight her, but her anger won't let her concede. Not that she had any chance. The Naruto she currently faced was possibly the greatest adversary she had ever gone up against. Even the combined might of the two Celestial Dragons paled in comparison to the sheer amount of power she could sense from her erstwhile friend.

"WHY!?"

She yelled again, firing a blast of fire that could damage even a Dragon, shot with the intent of incinerating the one man who kept her sane, even with the pressure exuded by the Satans and her family mounting on her head. The blonde just casually swatted the flames aside, as if he were merely effortlessly gesturing and not touching flames which burned as bright as the sun.

He locked eyes with her again, subjecting her to his emotions in the process. She closed her eyes, completely disregarding the punch that threatened her own well-being. Again, she found herself in pain, both mental and physical. She forced her body to straighten midair, her broken bones creaking in disagreement. As Naruto closed in, she prepared her final strike, feeding all her demonic energy to her flames. This attack was capable of forcing Dragons to pause, And Naruto was, for all his strength, still just flesh and bones, no more metaphysical than her.

"WHY CAN'T I KILL YOU?!"

Her Supernova engulfed the man she once called her best friend. The fires consumed all, destroying an entire city block. As the fires burnt out, her vision went hazy. But even through her clouded vision, she could make out the blonde Abbadon's form, still unhurt. As she floated out of consciousness, her body fell. Her fall was cut short, though. As something caught her mid fall. She made a conscious effort to stay awake, her vision clearing for a brief moment. She saw the man she had irrevocably fallen in love with, and she saw the tears in his eyes.

"I understand now," she whispered. "I cannot kill you, because I love you." Once she had spoken the last syllable she let unconsciousness take her. Naruto wiped his tears. All things considered, this was a better outcome than he expected. He could now understand why the Phenex felt so betrayed, he cursed himself for not noticing the signs. Not noticing the pain that she must have felt, seeing him and Grayfia together for centuries. His best friend had left him with some complex emotions. He could deal with Devils, Angels, even Dragons.

But such emotions? Not really his cup of tea.

Devils and humans share many characteristics. In many ways, they are different. For example, a Devil is born much more durable than a human will likely ever be in his or her life. A Devil will live longer, far longer than any human. But then, there were similarities too. Most of these similarities manifested in the mind, rather than physically. One of these similarities was their mutual respect for tradition. As such, the four seeds of revolution were now to be crowned as the new Satans, each taking over where the last left off. Added to that was the fact that the 72 Pillars, or whatever was left of them, would still retain the majority of their power. What more, they would now create a council of peers, one which could, and would influence the decisions of the new Satans. Meanwhile, in all the bureaucracy, the Extra Houses were yet again, forgotten.

More power to the powerful, none for the weak. Classic Devil logic.

While Naruto did not regret his choice, he did feel angry. The law that Extra Devils had to denounce their families in order to be recognized by the 72 Pillars wasn't revoked. But now, Extra Devils did not need a sponsor or a master in order to take ascension exams. Which meant that Extra Devils could now work to get to the same level of social power that Devils from greater families enjoyed from birth itself.

How pathetic. But still, it was progress, and that was what mattered.

"Sitting here, away from the party, how typical."

Naruto was brought out of his thoughts by the voice of his best friend. Apparently, a day was enough for her to heal off most of the damage he had caused her. Still, seeing the bandages around her waist did send a pang of guilt straight through his conscience. Aria noticed this and tutted disapprovingly. "You did what you had to. I can't hate you for it. I came here to apologize; I was out of line. You didn't abandon me; I was just too stubborn to notice what was going on around me."

Naruto shook his head. "No, neither of us are to blame. The blame lies solely on the heads of the old Satans, and they got their just desserts." His response got a smile from his companion.

"That they did," she agreed. "So, what's your plan now?"

Naruto thought for a second, "For one, I have to figure out my emotions, thanks to you," He spoke, making the black haired Phenex blush. "I believe me and Grayfia have to talk. Even after all this, I still do love her." He stopped, though, as a concerned look appeared on Aria's face. "What?" he asked, "did I say something wrong?"

For a second, Aria went silent. Before Naruto could ask her what was wrong, she locked her gaze with his, fear and concern clearly visible in her gaze. "Naruto… Do you know why I left the party, even though I was technically a guest of honor?" Confused, Naruto shook his head. The Phenex continued. "In the middle of the party, Sirzechs left the podium, he walked over to Grayfia, who is still not recognized as a member of the high class society." She then choked, confusing Naruto even further. "In front of the entire gathering, he asked her out," Aria continued, noticing the suspended horror on Naruto's face.

"And she said yes."

The glass in Naruto's hand shattered, startling Aria and splashing whatever was left of his drink. That son of a bitch! Now he understood why Grayfia was so protective of him, going as far as to betray her own faction to side with him. And in his folly, he had simply made her romance a reality. He now realized that she didn't break up with him because of her war duties, that notion had gone out of the window the moment he learnt she defected. But because she had her eyes on another. And he had gone out of his way to make sure she and the man who stole her from him were safe during this pointless war.

Oh, how naïve, he should have noticed. Thinking back, he realized that throughout the one year that they were all together, her loving gaze was only meant for the new Lucifer. She used him, and it was very apparent that she got what she wanted. It made sense now, why she wanted him to face Aria. She couldn't bear to face her erstwhile rival in love when she herself was trampling on the heart of the man who, for the better part of two centuries, belonged solely to her. How cruel.

Naruto laughed, his mind trying to comprehend why she would do such a thing. But then again, it was obvious. He wasn't enough for her. And maybe Sirzechs was. A Devil who would have died in a failed revolution was worth more to her than the man who, on countless occasions, saved her life.

"Pathetic." He commented. "I'm being petty. But I don't know how to stop it." Luckily, he didn't have to. As two soft, feminine hands encircled him, pulling him closer.

"You don't have to bear this pain alone, Naruto," Aria spoke, shedding her own tears. It was so shocking that Naruto stopped for a second. Aria was a Phenex, and a Phenex's heart only wept for those they loved. It was then that Naruto realized how much he meant to her. How her heart wept for the broken person his love had left him. And in that moment, Naruto did something that he should have done a long time ago.

He kissed her.

If she was surprised, she didn't show it. What she did show was eagerness. As her hands went to places that were socially out of bounds. Naruto relaxed in her grasp, as she activated her teleportation glyph, taking them both back to her mansion. He was hers now, even though he wouldn't stay. At least, he was hers for the night.

And she would make sure to savor every bit of it.

"Are you sure you have to leave?"

Naruto dressed in front of his lover, giving her a free show as he did. Last night had been… eventful, to say the least. He hadn't made love with such passion since his first night with Grayfia, all those years ago. And even though she lacked the experience his past lover possessed, she made up for it with her endless stamina. The Phenex regeneration factor truly was a godsend when it came to one's sex life.

And afterwards, Naruto had enough time to sort out his feelings as well. He couldn't let Grayfia's… choice… get to him. And he couldn't let his newfound love keep him from his destiny, especially considering the fact that his destiny was literally nagging him in his head. As such, he had to leave, and he had no plans of returning. Sadly, his second chance at love would have to be a long-distance affair.

"No can do. I don't want to take the blame for breaking your back again, old woman," he joked, causing his lover to pout. He made the mistake of looking at her, in all her playful glory. The woman he had been around for almost all of his extremely expansive life. And the urge to stay rose up in his subconscious yet again. Thankfully, he was able to quell it. Though it was by no means an enjoyable act.

"What about the others? Not going to say your goodbyes?" she asked, gaining a blank look from the blonde Abbadon.

"Well, to be very honest? No. As of this moment, my parents haven't been allowed to even think of me as their son for almost two centuries. The people who I brought to victory, I couldn't care less about. And the woman I love, well, she already gets to say goodbye."

Aria blushed again, but smiled through it. "Well, they do know that you defeated me, all five of them. If you stay, they'll probably give you a position of power," she commented. "Though as I say that, I am constantly reminded of how you've shunned the limelight all your life, Mister Demon."

Naruto chuckled. "You understand me so well, don't you?" he spoke, getting ready to call on his family's power. He was stopped, though, by two arms encircling him. Deciding that maybe, he could stay for a few more minutes, he turned around to see the smiling face of the lover he should have chosen far earlier.

"Take this," she spoke, handing him a vial with a gold chain attached to it. Instantly, Naruto was stunned. In his hands was a vial of Phenex tears. And he knew that they were her own. No Phenex would part willingly with the tears of his or her comrades. No, this was her telling him that she truly loved him, and that those feelings were here to stay.

"Are you sure?" he asked her. "Considering who you are, I believe there will be hundreds of Devils vying for these tears pretty soon." His response gained a beautiful, melodic laugh from his lover.

"Let them try, if they can't beat me, they can't have me. Consider it your prize for beating me fair and square."

Naruto's smile then dropped. "What about your family? Are you sure they're okay with you giving your tears to a lowborn Devil like me?" he questioned, making Aria shake her head.

"I don't care what they think, honestly. I outrank them on both the social ladder and the power scale. They cannot choose the person I marry, or if I ever do marry, considering you're too preoccupied to be mine." She then giggled. "And anyone who tries to lay claim on me has to prove himself to me. After all, a strong Devil can have multiple consorts." She then locked eyes with him, a wistful expression spreading on her face. "And something tells me that I'm probably not going to be the last woman who catches your fancy."

Naruto scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Yeah, you probably don't have to worry about that. I'm not the most attractive person out there by a long shot."

That line had an immediate effect on Aria, who looked at him with a blank stare, surprised by his cluelessness. "Naruto, you might be a knucklehead at times, but other than that, you are kind, strong, and genuine, not to mention handsome." She then moved off, deciding to put on some clothes herself. "All I ask is, even when you find someone else, or many such 'someone's, don't forget about me."

Naruto smiled. "What did I do to deserve someone like you?" he asked, only for a mischievous smile to appear on her face.

"Well, you ignored my feelings for the better part of two centuries. Maybe that?"

Naruto laughed, "Taking potshots already huh? But seriously. Thank you, Aria, for… everything," he said sincerely, as the true power of the Hole manifested in front of him, pulling him into the gap between dimensions. As he left, another stray tear leaked out of his lover's eyes.

"Barely been a second since he's gone and I already miss the idiot."

The Dimensional Gap was just as he remembered it. But in his defense, it was a rather hard to forget kind of place. This time, though, he felt his demonic power unravel slightly as he passed into the dimension. Without Framp's power shielding him from its power, the dimensional pull threatened to tear him apart.

But he was stronger than that. For the first time in centuries, Naruto entered his true sage mode, letting the power of the Juubi protect him as ten truth-seeking spheres appeared behind him. His body stabilized, but he had definitely attracted attention. A fact that was made clear by the shadow above him, and the woman who had suddenly appeared next to him.

"Who are you and what are you doing in my area?" the Dragon above him roared, as it settled down whipping up a gigantic sandstorm as he did so. Naruto was actually forced to use wind manipulation to brace himself. The woman, if that was what she truly was, needed to do no such thing, as the dust simply seemed to avoid her lithe frame.

Naruto sighed. Both, the woman and the Dragon, were almost equal in power, and if push came to shove, it could take him months to take them down. And while time really wasn't an issue, he would rather spend the same time doing something constructive rather than fighting two creatures who apparently owned this dimension.

Hence, he simply released his chakra. All of it.

The effect was instant, as both the Dragon and woman were forced to the ground, unable to move. Meanwhile, Naruto walked over to the tower which held his object of fascination, completely ignoring the Dragon's bellows, insisting he come back and fight him like a man. The woman, though, did not take her eyes off his retreating figure even once. This Devil was special, someone who could help her reclaim her dimension from her showoff of a rival.

As Naruto entered the tower, he was greeted by the skeletons of creatures that couldn't possibly be human, or even anything close. Many of them had multiple arms, while some had tails. They looked like what you'd get if you cross-bred the most ferocious animals you could find. As he climbed the tower, the number of corpses increased. Till he reached the top, where the ground was completely covered with them. He ignored the crunch of breaking bones under his feet as he walked over to the item that called to him.

It was a golden spear. Unadorned, save for one straight line of red that ran through its length. There was nothing quite so remarkable about it, except for the simplistic beauty which underlay it and the faint pulse of power that emanated from it. Curious, he pulled the spear out of the ground.

All of a sudden, the spear began to unravel. And he was assaulted by painful flashes of memories. Memories that showed him the earth, before humanity lay claim to it. Memories of a war, and a fight against a creature, who looked and felt like a father. As these memories flashed through his head, the weapon's history was made clear to him. Wars had been waged for it, nations destroyed while defending it. It was, after all, creation willed into the shape of a weapon. As the memories faded, he smiled. The weapon that had assimilated into him, had a history. And as it had a history, it had a name.

"Samsara. How quaint," he whispered. The spear taking shape in his hands as he called its name. Sadly, that was all. The nagging was now gone, but with its disappearance, there was nothing there to replace it. No sense of adventure, no prophecy, no call of destiny left. All that remained was him, and the two creatures that had recovered from his initial display of power. As they flew to the top of the tower, the woman having taken her true form, that of a black Dragon. Naruto got ready for battle.

After all, he had time to kill.

"I'm surprised you applied for this kind of job, Mr. Uzumaki. Considering your degrees and accolades, I believe you might be overqualified to serve as a mere student counselor."

In the countless years he had spent exploring the vast reaches of the human plane. Naruto had been many things. He had been a warrior, an explorer, a doctor, a scientist, a bureaucrat and even a host, on multiple occasions. Truth be told, he was more than overqualified for any job a human could possibly have, period. He had been to more universities than he could count, devouring knowledge at unprecedented speeds, thanks to his Shadow Clone Jutsu. But then again, one of the upsides of being a Devil was that no matter what job you applied for, you could always look like it was your first. The power to change one's appearance was formidable indeed. Coupled with the seals that blocked his demonic signature, it was the perfect guise.

So confident was he, that he was even taking up a job in a city that served as a stronghold for multiple Devil houses in the human world.

After all, it was his self-appointed job to watch over them. Out of sight, out of mind.

"I've always had an interest in pursuing teenage psychology. These are the formative years for children, and I believe the best way to learn how they form their world-view is to observe teenagers from as close as you possibly can. Hence, my choice." he answered. The school's headmaster, a balding man in his fifties, gave his papers another once-over. But Naruto knew his ruse. The decision was not his to make. That honor belonged to the Devils who owned this school. And right now, he knew that they had already come to a decision.

The headmaster closed his file with a smile. "You drive a hard bargain, mister Uzumaki. I believe we'd be best served by having a man of your stature on board. Welcome to Kuoh academy." The man offered his hand, which Naruto shook posthaste. "We'll just file your papers; you can start your work anytime you see fit next week. We'll be looking forward to hearing from you."

Naruto nodded. "Thank you, now, I believe it is time for me to excuse myself," Naruto said, detecting a familiar energy signature outside the room. Shaking the headmaster's hand one last time and wishing him well, the blonde Uzumaki exited the room, almost running directly into a boy who seemed to be looking for a hiding place. Seeing his chance, he hid behind the tall and broad shouldered blonde. Just as he did so, a horde of angry females ran past, not even sparing a second glance at the strange man in the hallway, their tunnel vision too strong.

"Whew! That was way too close!" the boy exclaimed. Naruto's face paled as he felt the insatiable emotion of lust mixing with fear that the boy seemed to exude. So overpowering was his lecherous intent that the blonde Devil almost couldn't believe that this boy was the holder of a Longinus. Specifically, the Boosted Gear.

"Well, they sure seem to have it out for you. I'm Naruto Uzumaki, by the way." The blonde offered the brown-haired kid his hand, which the boy promptly shook. Inside him, Naruto felt the Dragon's energy shift, instinctively recoiling from his touch. Not noticing the subtle shift, the boy smiled back at the much taller blonde. Apparently, the boy wasn't even aware that one of this world's strongest existences currently dwelled inside him. "Issei Hyoudou. Nice to meetcha!" The boy introduced himself. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to make sure whether my friends are alive or not," the boy barked, running off in the direction he came from.

Naruto chuckled, this would be an interesting year.


	2. Chapter 2

"This is the third time this week you've been sent here, care to explain yourselves?"

Kuoh, it was an academy that boasted a 9:1 girl-boy ratio, having been converted from a prestigious girls-only school to a co-ed platform. As such, incidents of perverts were much too common for his liking. What more, some of the students weren't even subtle about their lecherous intentions. Luckily, for the most part, in the three months he had spent here as the local counsellor, he had been able to reform most of these perverts, helping some of them along with their love lives as a by-product. But among the legions of perverts that called Kuoh home, there were some that could simply not be converted to the light. Some, who had taken the will of perverseness from the greatest of the great, and decided to run with it till the light left their eyes.

And amongst the pantheon of these lecherous neo-gods, three stood out, by far, as the most perverted humans to ever walk planet earth, or at least the human plane of it. And Naruto was sure that these three could give Jiraya a run for his money. Hell, Jiraya would take these three as his Genin squad without a single peal of resistance. And that scared the blonde demon more than it had any right to.

They were called the Perverted Trio, and it was a well-deserved title. The shortest among them, Mohotama, seemed to have a peculiar bloodline ability, not very different from the Byakugan. He could tell the three sizes of a woman by simply looking at her. And that was a terrifying power, because no matter how well-covered the girl may be, he was always correct. This ability was mirrored by a girl named Aika Kiryuu, who apparently fainted due to excessive blood lose when she saw Naruto. Nosebleeds definitely weren't that deadly where he came from. As such, Mohotama was the scout, a man who knew what he wanted, and had no qualms putting himself in danger's way to acquire it.

The second was a rather plain-looking boy named Matsuda. His plainness was as effective as a knife in the dark. He could enter shops meant for adults and leave without drawing any attention, scoring the rarest of porno and eroge for his troubles. He was silent, his body was a fine-tuned machine, he was deadly, and he was extremely inept when it came to actually speaking to women. He was the procurement master, and he was good at only one thing, his job.

And thirdly was the man of the hour, the boy with the Dragon, the person who, by all rights, should have never been here. Issei Hyoudou. It was rather funny that the wielder of one of the strongest Sacred Gears in existence was never able to think past the allure of the fairer sex. By all rights, his power would make him a magnet for anyone or anything beautiful and/or powerful. Yet, here he was, sent to his school's counsellor due to having failed his reconnaissance mission to the kendo club's changing room.

"We let them catch us. You have a TV in here and Matsuda got us some really cool DVDs to watch," Issei beamed, procuring a box of what looked like unmarked DVD cases from thin air. Naruto sighed, this too, had become common occurrence. His initial counselling had completely failed, with it being clear that they were incurable (harmless mind you, but incurable nonetheless), so now he just let the kids use his TV to watch porn. If someone walked in, he acted like he was having a session with them, switching the TV's channel to a therapy program.

It was brilliant, all things considered. Not only did this arrangement help him get to know Issei better, it also put the rest of the school at ease. Plus, it was great material for his books. The plan killed three birds with one stone, pure genius.

"You seem rather cross today, Matsuda, Mohotama. Anything you want to talk about?" he asked, surprising the teens. Apparently, they were trying to hide whatever they felt from their brown-haired friend. But his PhD in the field of psychology wasn't just for show. They fidgeted a bit, while Issei simply looked confused. That was the last straw for Matsuda, who had apparently held his outburst in all day.

"Issei got himself a girlfriend!" the boy yelled, completely taking Naruto by surprise. "He's been going on and on about her all day! Yuuma this, Yuuma that! It is almost as if now that he has a girlfriend, he's lost his way!"

Naruto was a bit confused. Issei had an endgame? That was news to him. The only real defining will the boy possessed was to enjoy the fairer sex in whatever way he could. For him to have motives that went beyond that was something new. And by the way Issei was aggravated by his friend's outburst, it seemed that he definitely didn't want Naruto in the loop.

"I have not forgotten our pact, Matsuda!" Issei stated indignantly, jumping up. "Yuuma is merely a beginning. I told you two once that one day, I would be a harem king. And this is just the beginning. I don't want my two corporals to lose hope. Iwillbe a harem king. And you will help me make this dream a reality!" The fire burning in his eyes was intense, his voice filled with steel and laced with gold, standing with one leg up on the coffee table and a clenched fist extended into the air, Issei gave off the impression of a hero of legend leading his people to victory… Well, hewouldhave been it not for the absolutely perverse nature of his seemingly-heroic speech.

Naruto was stunned.

Of course he knew that Issei wanted a harem for himself. It was one of his defining traits! It had taken two visits from members of the volleyball club to tell him that Issei told anyone willing to listen about the fact that he would, one day, have a harem. So why was he acting like it was such a big secret?

"Firstly, congratulations on getting a girlfriend, Issei. And secondly, I know you want to be a 'harem king'. So why would you act like it is such a secret? Hell, I believe every single person in this school knows," he questioned, making Issei nervous. Luckily, his friends had no such inhibitions, no need to be so wary of him. Hence, Mohotama picked up where Issei left off.

"It's because you're our natural enemy, our greatest foe, our eternal predator!"

For the second time in the day, Naruto was completely lost for words. Him? The enemy? Had Issei finally awoken his power? Had Ddraig somehow seen through his henge and realized that he was the same Devil who had disposed of both him and his rival as if they were low-class Devils?

… No, that couldn't be right. For one, Issei's reserves were still abysmal in every field, especially his draconic ones, which were still only there due to Ddraig's presence. Activating a Longinus-class Sacred Gear would most certainly have some effect on his reserves. If not that, then what were the three going on about? Isse saw the flabbergasted expression on his teacher's face and conked Mohotma on the back of his head. "What he means is that princely, bishonen-men like you are the bane of our meagre existences!"

Ah, that explained it. No, wait, it definitely didn't.

"Me? A bishonen prince? What are you saying? I'm a teacher, I'm way too old for any girls here to see me as anything but one of their dad's friends, at best. What could girls your age possibly even see in me?" he asked, only for the three kids to pale.

Matsuda actually pinched his face to make sure he was still firmly mired in reality. "Uzumaki sensei," he stated, his voice laced with trepidation. "You have a fan club. And by fan club, I mean a faculty-sanctioned club, dedicated to your fan girls, and in some cases, fan boys."

Naruto froze. The blonde Shinobi-Turned-Devil liked to consider himself a brave man. Hell, anyone who went toe-to-toe with what could only be defined as a god could definitely be considered either brave or stupid. He liked to think he was the former. But there were two things that he definitely feared. One, was the abolishment of ramen as food, and the second, the one that currently perturbed him, were fan girls. He had seen Sasuke's fan girls, he had seen Neji's fan girls, he had even seen Gaara's fan girls. And nothing terrified him more than the power wielded by the crazed, fanatical women pursuing their object of worship. As such, he fell back to his shinobi ways, his spine straightening and his eyes narrowing, as he asked the questions that really mattered.

"When?"

Matsuda gulped, seeing the sudden, professional change that had taken over Naruto. "Well, it started after your introduction at the start of the school year. Two days later, the club was up and running." His question answered, Naruto moved on.

"Where?"

This time, Issei spoke up. "Right across the hall, three rooms down. The old Telepathy club room. They operated under the guise of the 'Body Improvement club' till a teacher joined in and sanctioned the club."

Perturbed, Naruto asked the one question that meant the most to him.

"How many?"

Mohotama fiddled with his spectacles before answering, a victorious smirk on his face. "Over two hundred students and teachers. Four of the top ten beauties in the school are part of it, and almost all the female teachers too. Quite a selection." Naruto gulped, this was worse than he had thought. Much, much worse.

"And if I want to raise a complaint against the club, where do I go?"

Issei put a finger to his chin in an expression of thoughtfulness. "Well, the teachers don't really have that much power over the clubs, but the Student Council President should be able to field any complaints, although-"

Issei was cut off when, with speed that belied humanity, Naruto closed the distance between himself and the door. He gave them one final, fevered look. "Boys, I'm leaving on a mission that means a lot to me. Carry on with your porn, by all means. And if I don't make it back, you can do with my room as you will."

The three youths looked at each other in confusion. Why did the revelation that he had a fan club consisting of possibly the hottest women in the school scare their teacher so much? Hell, any of them would pay to be in his shoes right now.

But they didn't know what Naruto Uzumaki knew. This, this was grave news, and it had to be dealt with, post-haste.

Metempsychosis

Chapter 2

Sona Shitori, a young girl trying to shoulder the responsibilities of the world, and as the only mature Sitri, Naruto could see why. The only reason he knew she was a Sitri, other than the distinct feel of the water-based affinity they were known for, was due to her unmistakably violet eyes. Eyes carried both by the Lord Sitri and Serafall. But the similarities ended right there. Unlike her sister, there was a certain aura of untouchability that surrounded the younger sibling. It almost felt like Sona was trying her hardest to be the very opposite of her sister. And she was succeeding, albeit not very much.

While Serafall was not a very commanding individual, she had a crazy amount of power, and almost perfect control to command people for her. She didn't have the charisma of the Gremory lad, but she did have spunk, a clever mind, and as mentioned before, great power. In Sona's case, it was the very opposite. She was stern, forceful and disciplined. However, what she did not have was power. And it would take a single burst of killing intent to shred the condescending look on her face. But he was an outlier in this political game warred by the powers that be. And it would be remiss of him to show his hand before it was sorely needed. This was Devil territory, and his presence, while welcome, would ruin the surprise.

He couldn't ruin that now, could he?

"How may I help you, Mr. Uzumaki?" she asked, her visage not betraying her surprise. But Naruto was better than that. If the miniscule tightening of her muscles told him anything, it was that she did not expect to see him here. For one, she had all but avoided him after he had called her in for counselling. He had spent an hour completely dismantling her, and her psychological report was the only negative on her otherwise flawless school record. And that was sure to irk a perfectionist like her. He knew that he was playing with fire, considering the Sitri and the Gremory jointly owned Kuoh, both the academy and the city. But firing him would raise questions. His record was solid, and the students loved him. And such questions would jeopardize the secrecy of the Underworld. A risk like that would end the two teenage Devils' tenure in the mortal realm. And he was completely sure neither of them wanted that.

And if that wasn't enough, Rias positively adored him. She was one of the students who frequented his office, mostly because she had discovered Naruto's second-biggest addiction on the mortal plane.

Figurine collection.

"Ah, yes. I came here to talk to you about the 'One True Naruto Uzumaki Fan Club'. I request dissolution of the club," he plainly stated. There was no reason to muck about on the topic.

The Sitri raised an eyebrow in interest, a habit that she must have gotten from her father. "On what grounds?" she asked, and Naruto was almost brought to a stop. What grounds? There was a group of fangirls who had dedicated six hours per week just to study him! Was that not reason enough? It seemed the Sitri heiress wanted to play, the little thing actually thought she had all the cards in her hands, how cute.

"Well, firstly, the club uses my name, so that is an identity issue. Lawsuits have been filed for less. And I'm sure you can understand why I am concerned, considering the club's operations revolve around the studies of yours truly," he answered with a mockingly grandiose bow. "And secondly, I am a teacher, albeit a young one, I'd rather not lead these women on, they deserve better and they deserve someone in their own age bracket."

The Sitri shook her head, "For your first issue, I can notify the club to change their name. If Kentucky Fried Chicken can get away with renaming themselves to KFC, I'm sure the club will do just fine." The smile on her face grew predatorial at this point. "And for your second problem, all the girls in the club are at an age where they can decide what, or who, they want. That is a personal choice, and I believe it would be unethical for me to dissolve a club based on personal choice."

It was more than apparent that the President had prepared for this. This was definitely her way of getting back at Naruto for the little humiliation he had stained her perfect record with. But, Naruto already knew where this was headed, and he was prepared for it.

"You dissolved Yuuto Kiba's Fan Club, and I could quote verbatim the concerns he raised to you about his own issues. But that would be redundant. You seem to have it out for me, so, let's come to a compromise. What do you want?" he asked, leaning back into his seat with absolute confidence. It was all an act, of course. He knew that Kiba's fan club had been dissolved due to a bet Rias had with Sona, their Knights fought, and Kiba came out on top. Sona was good at laying bait, and Naruto had just proclaimed to her that he had taken it.

But, when a shark bites your bait, you're pretty likely to be the one who needs to be fished out of the water. Whatever's left of you, that is.

"Hmm. How about we have a chess match?" she innocently asked, "a wager, if you will. You win, I dissolve the club, based on the concerns you have raised. And if I win, you re-evaluate me." Her smirk grew as she continued. "Of course, you do not have to take up the challenge, and we can easily go our separate ways. Of course, you could always deal with the teachers in-charge of the club. You will excuse me if I say that I don't see much of a future in that venture."

Ah, so the young Devil wanted a game? That was both cruel and crafty. Suddenly, Naruto was reminded that for all her posturing, Sona was still a Sitri first and foremost. And like her sister, had a mean streak a mile wide. To use her experience at chess to not only mark her slate clean, but also to make sure she got her revenge on Naruto. It was a perfect plan, at least, in her head.

Of course, she had no Idea that Naruto was centuries old, and had centuries of experience playing the one game that Devils were oh-so-obsessed with.

"Well then, what do I have to lose?"

He could have sworn that he saw a victorious smirk on her face as she asked her Vice President, Shinra Tsubaki, to retrieve her chess set. Little did she know, over the course of the next few hours, that smirk would end up replaced with something a lot less savory.

"T-this is absurd!"

Naruto had to agree, Sona's king was currently beset on one side by Naruto's rook, and his bishop brought up the flank. It was the classic box-in maneuver, and the surprising part was, it had worked on Sona, who was widely-proclaimed as one of the Underworld's best chess players. But Naruto had played chess with Akuja, and the young Sitri couldn't hold a candle against the green-haired Satan.

What surprised him, though, was that it had taken them two hundred and twenty-one moves to get to this point. Unlike Akuja, Sona was a lot more composed. It really didn't matter, cause her impatience slowly broke her down. And over the course of fourteen long, grueling hours of competition, she allowed Naruto to set up one of the simplest traps in chess, and she fell for it.

As he once told Akuja, if you can't play the game, play the player.

"Well, I believe the result is quite conclusive. Now, if you'd excuse me, I have to get in a few hours of sleep before I report for work. I'm pretty sure the principal won't give me a day off just because I spent the night playing games."

His words didn't even reach the dumbstruck young woman. This was a mistake, it had to be! She had lost in chess to a human! Not even a professional player, but a mere psychologist! How would she explain this to her peerage? What face would she show Rias? This was preposterous!

"P-people cannot know about this."

Naruto was brought to a pause by the sudden, icy-cold feeling emanating from Sona. He wouldn't be so surprised had he not seen the same reaction come from someone else, long ago, when he would tease her during training. Sure, Sona was nowhere near as powerful as the other, namely her own sister. But he was sure that he wouldn't be able to handle her and keep her suspicion off him. So, he did what he had never done for her sister.

He began to barter.

"Sure, after a match that long I believe the result can barely be considered conclusive. We're both tired," he answered lazily. "Although, it did force me to rethink a few points on your psychology report. I think you should come in again when you're free. I'd like to re-evaluate your report." The effect was immediate. Not only was Naruto okay with completely disregarding the, frankly humiliating, outcome of her challenge, but also offering to take her part of the deal up.

"As long as you schedule your visitafterthe fan club is disbanded."

Ah, of course. Her opponent had conceded so graciously; it would only be fitting for her to keep up her end of the bargain. She was a high-class Devil, and Devils were always gracious, even in defeat. She nodded to him with a genuine smile. Maybe, the blonde teacher wasn't quite as bad as she first made him out to be.

Naruto slowly made his way to his office. As he walked out of the main campus, the protective glyphs covering the building finally stopped impeding his senses. And he tensed instantly. For in his office, he felt the tell-tale signature of a Devil. One that smelt of, in equal parts, a Dragon and a Gremory. He ran to his office and flung open his door, hoping that he was wrong, that it was merely one of Sirzechs' many servants, sent over to check up on the school's newest teacher. But the sight of brown hair and a horribly confused face served only to prove the worst of his fears true.

Issei had been Reincarnated. And just as he would expect from Sirzechs, his sister didn't even have the common courtesy to stick around and explain. He took one last look at the kid's confused, borderline fearful face, before asserting control. Gone was the kind, humble school counsellor, and in his place was a ruler whom men rallied behind.

"Tell me everything, right from the beginning. Skip no details."

It was bad. There was, presumably, a group of low-level Fallen in the city. They had been able to infiltrate Kuoh, a hotbed for demonic activity in the human plane, and they had been able to successfully kill the holder of one of the strongest Sacred Gears in existence, and then escape. He couldn't even remove them from the equation. That would mean revealing himself. His position wasn't just bad; it was downright terrible.

… And it wasn't even the worst case scenario.

Issei had been lucky enough to contract Rias right before he passed away. She was able to drive away the Fallen Angel, who had been posing as Issei's girlfriend. He ran some checks in the school's student database, and nobody named Amano Yuuma was registered as a student. Rias must have been scouting the boy out, because she barely hesitated before Reincarnating him. Normally, a Devil would have simply let him die, unless of course they knew him to be the wielder of a Longinus-class Sacred Gear. Rias was either extremely generous or extremely crafty. And considering the fact that she was a Gremory, Naruto was inclined to say she was both in equal measure.

Let him die, so that he doesn't get to choose whether he wants to be a Devil. But make sure to revive him, however many Pieces he may cost. Hell, he was pretty sure not even Rias could tell which Sacred Gear he held. Sure, it was draconic in nature. But then it could be any one of the hundreds of Dragon-based Gears that existed. After all, even the Twice Critical was technically a draconic Sacred Gear, mass produced from droplets of blood from Ddraig.

"And that's what happened. Now, I cannot find Yuuma, and no one else seems to remember her."

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Of course, it made perfect sense that the boy would be confused. For someone who held a Longinus, he was woefully unaware of the world around him, both the occult and the normal. Else, the immunity his draconic tenant provided him against lower grade magic would have made sure Yuuma's mental spell never even touched him. Yet, the moment he found out that there was an attractive girl interested in him, he threw caution to the wind and simply went for it. Of course, he was Issei, a simple, kind teenage boy, if a bit (read extremely) perverted, so it was expected.

"That's because she was never a student here. I just checked the school records," Naruto answered, turning his laptop around so that Issei could see. "As for what all you told me, I think I have a general idea about what happened last night." He answered. Issei perked up a bit, hoping he'd finally get some answers.

"You died."

The teen stopped, his breathing, movement, even the expression on his face went blank. Of course, completely disregarding the simpler explanations, he directly went for the most far-fetched one.

"Wait, so you're saying that I'm a ghost?! But I can't pass through walls, look!" Before the blonde could even get a single word in edgewise, Issei shot up from his seat and dashed headfirst into a wall. To his credit, he got up a mere second after his cranium impacted the solid marble flooring. "See? Completely physical!" he touted, pointing at himself for the sake of emphasis. Naruto sighed.

"Hey Issei, imagine having wings."

"Errm, okay… Let me get into my thinking pose." Issei spoke before closing his eyes. A second later, two very pronounced black wings phased into existence, their slight added weight knocking Issei out of his contemplative, albeit stupid, pose. His confusion grew as his mind grasped at what little knowledge of the occult he had. Bat wings? There was only one connection he could make.

"Please… tell me I'm not a monster, or a demon!" he hesitantly pleaded, fearing Naruto's response.

Naruto shook his head. "No, you're not a demon." As he said this a wave of relief passed over the brown-haired boy.

"You're a devil. If you were a demon or a monster, I'd have to kill you."

The look on Issei's face was priceless. The blood ran out of his face, leaving it as colourless as a sheet of acetate. He locked eyes with Naruto, silently hoping… no… pleading that this was all just a joke. But the blonde's face betrayed nothing. This was serious. He had died, and now, he was locked in a room with someone who knew more about his situation than he himself did. And that someone had just dropped a comment about killing him almost without a second thought. If that wasn't terrifying, he didn't know what else qualified for that tag.

"But how?" he asked the million-dollar question. Naruto stared at him for a second, surprised that the boy still hadn't put two-and-two together. He remembered seeing Rias as he died. He remembered getting impaled by a light spear by someone whose wings were very much different than the ones he had. And yet he wondered how he was in his current state? Naruto could understand if he simply thought seeing Rias was a hallucination, but still… He had to suppress a sigh as he launched into explanation.

"As far as I can tell from your recount, you were reincarnated by a Devil. And by Devil, I mean Rias Gremory," he answered. Issei took it rather well — and by that he meant only blanching slightly –, apparently having finally made the connection between Rias' presence and him being a Devil. "I think you should consult her on the… well… everything, really. If you want answers, she's your best bet," he reasoned, getting a subservient nod from Issei. As he got up to leave, Naruto realized that he had yet to breach the most important topic.

"Oh, by the way: do not tell Rias, or anyone for that matter, about this conversation we just had." He got a confused look from Issei in return. "When discussing the occult, things tend to get really convoluted very fast. People get involved for the smallest of things, and I definitely do not want to be involved, as far as Rias is concerned." Issei stopped for a second before nodding once in confirmation and leaving, closing the door behind him. Once he was out of earshot, Naruto quickly created a clone and told it to man his office. The Fallen were encroaching on Devil territory, and he needed to know why.

And there was no better way to get answers than to get them straight from the source.

"Baraquiel! I've had it with you covering for Azazel! Now, are you going to hand me that pile of trash, or do I have to fight you for it?"

Baraquiel stared at his friend with fear, Shemhazai was angry. For the Fallen who once held the angelic post of 'The Watcher', Shemhazai preferred a much more hands-on approach than many would expect from an ex-Archangel whose job was to observe and not be involved with events. But he could hardly be blamed. Their fearless leader, Azazel, was doing a really shitty job at keeping up with both his own titles.

"Such force is hardly warranted, Shem," Azazel whined. "Those objects are of my utmost curiosity. Why, just yesterday I actually got one of those human devices to work!" He exclaimed. As he held up a rather cutesy toaster in his hands, a light blue with a bright pink heart on the side. "It actually toasts a smiley face into the bread you pop into it. Isn't that ingenious?"

Shemhazai answered by sending a bolt of light through the toaster, the small explosion forcing out a yelp from Azazel. "If these things are more important to you than the matters of our faction. I wonder if you're the right person for the job," He countered, the steel in his tone making both his companions flinch. "If this is how you plan to spend the rest of your days then you should just retire."

Azazel sighed, he was about to launch into an explanation of how every bit of research that lead to the replication of Sacred Gear was time well spent, but he was stopped by the smell of ozone that suddenly made it into the room. The pile of trash— no, relics— that lay behind Baraquiel began to glow with a golden light, before a sudden mass was added to it, making it crash down on the poor Fallen Angel.

And out of the heap came a man who looked rather out of place in the current room. Mostly because of how ordinary he felt. There wasn't a single shred of any detectable power around the blonde. And to most, he would come across as a mere human, nothing special, just a human who had somehow managed to magically transport himself into a room that was currently inhabited by the three strongest members of the Grigori. Rare, but due to Azazel's eccentric experimentations, not entirely unheard of.

But then, the man's skin rippled, and like a curtain, his appearance fell away and was replaced by something a lot more recognizable. Azazel had to say, time was kind to his old enemy-turned-friend. His blonde hair was scruffy, and came down to his shoulders. The blonde was taller than anyone in the room, and that was saying something. If not for the three whisker marks on his face, and those unmistakably blue eyes, Azazel would have never been able to recognize the Devil… no… Demon who had almost killed him a dozen times, just to let him go at the end of it all.

What his two followers recognized, instead was the oppressive amount of power the blonde was exuding. That had felt it before, anyone who had participated in the final century of the War would. It was one of three distinct feelings that represented doom on the battlefield. And they knew which one this was.

"So, you live, Naruto Abbadon," Azazel stated, any pretense of playfulness was instantly removed from his tone. Behind him, his two friends tensed. They did not like their odds in this battle. Sure, they were once Archangels, but Naruto Abbadon was a core member of the Phenex Team, a team whose arrival signalled a bloody end to any conflict they chose to be a part of. 'Flee on sight' was the general command given to all Fallen when faced with them. And of all three, he was possibly the one that provided the hardest challenge. One could deal with the healing of the Phenex, but the sheer versatility Naruto had shown in the war was something no countermeasure survived contact with.

"I'm a hard man to kill," he answered, before staring down his adversaries. "You seem to be prepared for my eventual appearance, though. It seems you have been warned." Naruto looked at Azazel's two advisors, they had both flared their wings, twenty together, still not much of a threat to him. The Leader of the Grigori himself looked composed, if a bit intrigued.

"Bara, Shem, calm down. I'm pretty sure he didn't choose to come here to end dear old me." He got his followers to lower their weapons, which they did, albeit hesitantly. "You don't seem to have come here to fight. So, tell me, how can I help you?" he asked, completely disregarding the notion that the person standing in front of him was very possibly the single most dangerous Devil in existence.

Naruto allowed himself a light chuckle. "Perceptive as always. Now, let's get to the elephant in the room. What do you know of Kuoh?" he asked, noticing the confusion on Azazel's face.

"Well," began. "Kuoh is a human city under the joint governance of the Sitri and Gremory families. It is an active Devil hotbed. My Fallen are under command to not set foot there without express orders from myself." Naruto nodded, doing nothing to alleviate his quarry's confusion. "But you already knew that, so, why ask me?"

Naruto shook his head. "I've currently set up shop in Kuoh, and yesterday, I felt the presence of a few Fallen on the city's outskirts. I thought they were on a diplomatic mission, considering the security Kuoh offers to Devilkind. But last night, one of these Fallen murdered a Sacred Gear user. If not for the handy intervention of the Gremory House, the Longinus, Boosted Gear, would have gone dormant for yet another generation." Azazel stopped dead in his tracks. "Now, you seem like a smart guy to me, so, I believe there's some other reason why the Fallen are so intent on starting a new war. Now, mind cluing me in on what's been going on in your ranks? Cause frankly, this jeopardizes the secrecy I have worked so hard to forge."

Azazel grimaced, there was more to it than Naruto could possibly know, but the blonde, notwithstanding his limited interaction with the occult over the past few centuries, had still been able to piece together that there was a greater force behind this… mishap.

"Well, you see, since the war ended, there's been a bit of a divide between us Fallen," Baraquiel covered for his leader. "A few of the Grigori have left their posts, and taken with them a number of our legions, be it through force or old ties from when they were still part of the Heavenly Host."

Intrigued, Naruto turned to face Azazel, "Even the silver-tongued Azazel couldn't keep his faction under his thumb? Interesting, but expected. Especially from a faction that was created through betrayal." If the three Fallen took his words as an insult, they didn't show it. Their restraint was commendable, be it on the field of battle or off. "So, kindly tell me the name of the one responsible, and I will try to make sure and send you whatever remains of him in a nice little party basket."

Azazel stiffened at the malicious tone that crept into Naruto's words. "I'm afraid I cannot let you kill him. He is a Fallen, and we ourselves will deal with him. For what he did, he will spend an eternity in Cocytus. If you help us deliver this judgement to him, we shall tell you of his identity," Azazel demanded. "There aren't many of us left, and whatever little power we have, we are not willing to squander it. Even if he is mad, even if he is traitorous, he is still one of us. And I cannot, in good faith, let you slaughter him."

Naruto held his gaze, the determination in his eyes shining through. When all was said and done, Azazel had done an admirable job at keeping the Fallen in line, especially given their very nature. A leader of a deceitful race, yet someone who stood up for his kind, despite their traitorous nature. Spirit like that was commendable. Hence, he acquiesced.

"As long as they do not act out of line again, I promise I will refrain from killing them," Naruto proposed, and Azazel took it.

"His name is Kokabiel. A ten-winged Fallen. Him and his legion left our fold a few months ago. The last I heard of him, he was in western Europe," Azazel answered, a concerned look replaced the impassivity of his face. "The ones in Kuoh, on the other hand, are from my faction. Yet, Kokabiel seems to have bewitched them. There are four of them, each with one set of wings."

Surprised, Naruto raised a brow. "Four low-class Fallen? To attack a town like Kuoh? Together, maybe they could challenge a Mid-class Devil, but both the clan heirs in Kuoh are High-class. Both by birth and ability. They'd be decimated before they could so much as materialize a single light spear." Azazel nodded. Even though they had a rather… sheltered… upbringing, the Sitri and Gremory heiresses were no joke, and that was completely discounting their diverse, powerful peerages.

"They're out of their depth here. And political stipulations place them out of my range. They will die out there. Hence, If I may, I'd like to ask you for a favour."

Naruto laughed. "A favour? For you? The man who cut down countless members of my race mercilessly? For the man who made Angels fall like rain? Give me one reason why I'd do that?"

Azazel didn't rise to the bait. Instead he raised two fingers. "I could give you two. For one, I have some information that expressly concerns you. And second, we'll keep all knowledge of you secret. Hell, we'll even add in information about the Underworld, which you seem to sorely lack."

Naruto thought it over for a moment. Azazel was one of the most informed members of the moonlit world. He had always been a man who valued information over power, which even showed during the war. He'd cut off supply lines and take down larger garrisons of both Devils and angels. He wasn't a master tactician just because of his heavenly standing. The man was genuinely the closest thing there was to a true spymaster among the leagues of the occult. And Naruto could definitely make do with more knowledge of the world, even though he did have his own feelers out. Kage Bunshin were useful like that. But due to his Devil blood, he couldn't infiltrate the Underworld anymore. The registration glyphs on the border of the Underworld couldn't be fooled by seals, he had learnt that the hard way.

"Okay, I'll bite, what do I have to do?" he asked. The smile of relief that appeared on Azazel's face told him that he could have bargained for more, but that wasn't important. It wasn't as if Azazel could provide him with anything else that he truly wanted anyways. "The four Fallen Angels in Kuoh are not evil, they are merely misguided. If it is at all possible, I would like you to retrieve them." He sighed.

"As for the first part of our deal. Heaven has lost another one of its Archangels."

Naruto looked at Azazel with a pensive expression. Sure, that was a rare event in itself, but he didn't understand why it concerned him. And that was when Azazel dropped the metaphorical hammer.

"It was Raziel."

Oh shit.

Raziel, the Keeper of the Mysteries, one of the strongest of the Archangels, and Naruto's self-appointed rival. The number of Archangels that outranked Raziel in power could be counted on one hand. The fact that she had fallen was quite grave indeed, especially given the fact that she had gained something of an unhealthy obsession with Naruto around the end of the war.

"Please don't tell me that she's looking for me," Naruto pleaded, grasping at straws.

Too his dismay, Azazel shook his head. "Raziel is the Keeper of Mysteries, she's the Archangel whose Task is the most daunting, and varied of them all. And according to her, you are a greater mystery than even the origin of Trihexa. As such, she's attracted to your location. It would be safe to say that given a couple of days, she'll find you. At least you have some time to prepare, and possibly appease her."

Naruto shook his head. "You've given me a lot to think about. I believe you'll send me a dossier on the recent developments in the Underworld once I fulfil your requirements." Azazel nodded. Naruto allowed a small smile to grace his face, which unnerved his three companions a bit too much for their personal tastes.

"As for my secret, I sincerely hope you keep it. Because over the centuries, I have come to be rather close to Dragonkind. As such, I know of your artificial Sacred Gear. If you leak my secret, I can disappear again. You, on the other hand, will have to answer to both Sirzechs and Michael about it. I believe they'll be most curious about how you managed to replicate a power that can be traced back to God himself." Naruto took a second to savour the look of abject horror on the Fallen Angels' faces. "I'd say it was a pleasure doing business with you, but I'll hold my judgement on that till you fulfil your end of the bargain. And for your sake, I hope you do."

Before Azazel could come up with a reply, Naruto disappeared in a shower of golden sparks. Leaving all three Fallen Angels with one singular thought in their minds.

How did he even get here?

Unbeknownst to them, a small seal faded out of view, hidden behind Azazel's high collar. A small gift from Naruto that had been there ever since they faced off in the War. Better safe than sorry, after all.

A week.

One week of constant Shadow Clone surveillance was enough to notify Naruto that not only were the four Fallen in Kuoh smart, choosing to spread out and hide among humans, denying him the opportunity to take them out stealthily. Together, they generally assembled in a church on the outskirts of the city. But he couldn't risk going there.

Cause that's where she had made her home.

Raziel, the Archangel of Mysteries. She was generally paired with Raphael and Kazfiel during the war, and whenever they were deployed, so were the members of Naruto's team. Originally, Naruto had believed Raziel to be male, considering her robes, the completely covered attire of a mage. It was only after repeated confrontations and an unintended wardrobe malfunction that Naruto's team learnt that Raziel was a woman.

As the Archangel of Mysteries, it did make sense. To keep the mysteries of the world was her divine duty, and that duty was what had led her to Kuoh. Though Naruto was pretty adept at hiding himself, he was rather sceptical about his chances of escaping Raziel's scrutiny, He didn't want to take a chance, and had the patience needed to make sure he didn't need to. Once Raziel decided that Kuoh was merely a false alarm, or the four Fallen Angels decided to make a move, he'd make his own. Till then, it was all about planning, and he was fine with that.

But what really confused him was Kokabiel and his endgame. He had sent four, two-winged Fallen to take on a bastion of Devilkind, one guarded by two of the strongest families in the Underworld, manned by the heirs of said families. They weren't misdirection, he could tell, and they were obviously proficient and crafty, as the Fallen were wont. They had displayed their ingenuity in the way that they had taken out Issei, but the Devils of Kuoh were not far behind in their own wily ways.

Rias had been there, she had known, and she had acted. Hell, she had even pulled one off on him. It was pointless to blame her, considering the Fallen had the means and power to successfully disguise themselves to resemble humans, considering the fact that sin ran through both species, and both were once holy, righteous creations of the Almighty. The sin of the humans was disobeying the will of God, of consuming the forbidden fruit. The sin of the Fallen was betraying their purpose. In all honestly, the difference between the two races was merely one of circumstance.

Back to the point, Kokabiel. Naruto had met Kokabiel and his legion on the fields of battle twice, and each time, the valiant, smart legions under Kokabiel's leadership had held them off long enough to allow his faction to retreat. He was a good leader, a man who knew war like the back of his hand. And with a title like Kokabiel of the Legion, that was to be expected. He had ten wings, but if mental alacrity and militaristic acumen were something to go by, Naruto would consider him twelve-winged. Hence, his move surprised Naruto. It was too obvious to be a misdirection, and too stupid to be successful. The only reason Naruto could guess was that Kokabiel merely wanted to get rid of these few Fallen. Considering they were operating under the illusion that their orders came directly from Azazel, it would definitely raise concerns among the other two factions. Azazel wouldn't sell Kokabiel out, considering he wanted to deal with his erstwhile underling personally. And the other factions would take that as a challenge.

All-in-all, the only purpose it served was to remove Kokabiel from public vision. That could only mean his plan relied on stealth. As a shinobi, he could easily draw this conclusion. But the men and women of the occult were prideful, they were the kind of people that believed in power above finesse. Part of the reason he was so successful in the war was because he could generally use their hubris against them. But Kokabiel was not like that. He had never been like that. And in that regard, he had Naruto's respect.

But respect didn't wipe away doubts. Instead, it merely served to bring them to the forefront. Kokabiel wouldn't openly defy Azazel unless his plan was already near fruition. And considering that his Legion had left with him too, his plan would be much more large-scale than Azazel could guess. This was why he didn't like fighting the Fallen, or for that matter, humans. They were wily opponents and had the smarts to back up their power. And that was why the Fallen, even though the faction possessed merely one twelve-winged angel, were one of the biggest threats of the Great War.

If push came to shove, he'd act. But in case things went according to plan. He wouldn't have to. The Red Dragon Emperor had awoken, and he could always be Naruto's proxy. And if that didn't work out, he could always work through a Path. The Rinnegan was useful like that.

As he filed in his paperwork for the day, planning to make it home early and possibly cook himself some ramen, he was caught unaware by a knock on his door. Sensing the draconic presence of his protégé, he sat down. The door opened, and Issei all but ran and crashed on his chair. Apparently, he'd been running for a while now, if the perspiration on his face was anything to go by. But what really brought Naruto to a stop were the emotions coming from him, and more so, the fact that he barely needed to read them to understand what had transpired. Because the look on Issei's face was something he remembered far too well. He remembered seeing it on his own face, a long time ago, before he was embroiled in the doings of Devilkind.

Someone he cared for was in danger.

"I need your help!" Issei exclaimed between labored breaths. Naruto nodded before folding his hands under his chin. And with a perfectly neutral face, he spoke.

"Tell me everything, from the start."

It was just as he expected.

The Fallen were brash, but they had made their move. They had kidnapped a Sacred Gear holder right under Gremory's nose, in Gremory territory no less. And if Issei's account of her powers was to be believed, the girl held a healing Sacred Gear, one of the rarest and most treasured kinds. In some ways, the rarity of healing Sacred Gears even outshot that of the Longinus. And he had an inkling of what they planned to do with it.

He had seen Azazel's old machines in action. Seen the horrifying process that preceded the removal of a Sacred Gear. But this was Gremory turf. So why was Issei asking him for help?

"I understand your concerns, but why would you come to me about this and not go to Rias?" he asked. Though he knew the answer. The girl would make for an amazing Peerage member, undoubtedly. But as a Holy Maiden, would she even accept Rias' proposal? In this case, wasn't it better to remove the choice from the equation altogether? It was ingenious, sure, but it was equally inhumane. It wasn't something Naruto could stand for.

Issei shook his head. "She told me not to mess with Angels, even if they're Fallen. She doesn't know Asia, and she is too scared of risking me." His head fell and his body started to tremble. "She's willing to sacrifice Asia just so that I can be safe." The trembling increased, and so did his voice. "But I promised her that she'd be my friend! I promised to keep her safe! What kind of person would I be if I can't even keep the people I care about safe!"

Naruto smiled, the resemblance was uncanny. Unlike him, who had to be taught the meaning of true strength by Haku, Issei already understood it. His interactions with the brown-haired Devil were just proving him to be a worthy successor to his legacy. Of course, he had to test the boy further. He needed to know just how far the boy was willing to go in order to make sure those he cares for are safe.

"Remember, I told you that I do not want to be embroiled in the machinations of Devilkind. So, kindly explain why you believe I'll be willing to charge into Fallen Angel territory with you?" he asked, making Issei tense up further.

The resolve that crept up into the young boy's eyes was admirable indeed. "You'll be going with me, so you won't have to reveal yourself. Rias doesn't know that I plan to go against her orders." He answered, his voice not wavering once and his will not even remotely bending to Naruto, but the unheard question still hung heavy between the two of them.

"And if you refuse, I'll tell Rias that you know about the occult."

Instantly, Issei was floored by a wave of killing intent sending him to the floor as he felt his heart pump painfully in his chest. He struggled to stand back up, but his body just didn't obey him. He could barely raise his head to look at the man who he had come to for help, and all he met was a face that could never, possibly belong to the friendly student counsellor he had come to know over the past few months. Dead, that was the best way to describe it. There was no pretense of familiarity on Naruto's face, no inkling of mercy. It was blank, and the feeling he got from him promised nothing but death, an agonizing, drawn-out death with no hesitance, with no joy or sorrow being wrought from the act.

He gulped. He couldn't let this stop him. He had to save Asia.

Under extreme duress, something inside the boy clicked. His Sacred Gear, which, till this point, Rias thought was a Twice Critical, manifested on his arm. And as he looked down at it, it began to change. The sharp, draconic ridges began to expand outwards, and green gem in the middle expanded and pulsed with otherworldly energies. The gauntlet grew into his fingers, giving him red, draconic claws. This wasn't what Rias said it would do. Suddenly, he felt himself fill with power, and finally, through exertion, he was able to stand. Trembling with the force needed to complete the herculean task, he looked Naruto straight in the eye.

"You kill me, and the Gremory will never leave you alone."

Naruto's eyes widened in surprise as his killing intent dropped. Never, not even in his wildest dreams had the thought that Issei would one day come up to him and use sound logic to convince him to cooperate. He had to hold back a laugh. Unlike him as a kid, and defying all the tags society had given to him, Issei had come up with a sound plan to use him to further his own plans. Ingenious. Really.

Naruto smiled. "You pass. You'll have my help. So, what do you need me to do?" Issei blinked in confusion. A mere second ago, Naruto was holding him to the ground using nothing but his sense of danger. And now, he was leaning back on his chair, completely relaxed, telling him that he had 'passed'. He wanted to ask about it. But time was running low. He couldn't let idle banter get in the way of Asia's safety.

"They're holed up in a church outside town. You handle the small fry, and I'll go and get Asia back." There was no doubt in Issei's voice, it was a simple statement of fact, a rejection of possibility that he could fail to save Asia.

Naruto smiled before drawing a quick hand-seal. Before Issei could say anything, both him and the blonde Uzumaki disappeared in a shower of golden sparks. When Issei's eyes finally recovered from the freak lightshow. All he could do was gape.

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In front of him was the church he had told Naruto about. If the all-knowing smile on Naruto's face was anything to go by, he had already scouted the place out. The other thing that Issei noticed was the sudden feeling of danger, great danger, that emanated from the church. This wasn't the danger he had felt when he faced Rayanare, or even Dohnaseek. This was greater, magnitudes greater. And he was sure he was not capable of dealing with it. He gulped, and looked over to the blonde, who was now humming a tune while carrying a shit-eating grin on his face.

"Still want me to take care of the small fry, Issei?"

The church was quite beautiful, if something was to be said about it. A large hall, leading to a chiseled-marble altar, backed by a fresco made by a masterful glassworker. Beautiful it was, but dilapidated in equal measure. The carpets, once red and vibrant, were mere rotted stains the colour of spilt wine on the ground. The benches, once hewn out of the most beautiful redwoods, were nothing more than breeding grounds for the multiple infestations that now called the church home. The dichotomy was ironic and sad in equal measure. So was the fact that a church, the bastion for the holy, now served as a hiding spot for the Fallen, the lesser evil, but unworthy of the light just as well. A faction that was comprised solely of the scum of Angel kind, abandoned by heaven itself.

Oh, how similar they were to this abandoned church. Irony at its finest.

"How many of them are here?" Issei asked. Naruto took a second to break out of his reverie, and chose to face his companion.

"There are four Fallen, and over a dozen exorcists. You don't need to worry about them. Rayanare is in the sanctuary behind the main hall." He pointed towards the rather ominous-looking door leading downstairs. Issei locked eyes with him once again.

"What happened to the ominous presence we felt outside?"

Naruto chuckled. Raziel's aura had diminished the moment he flared his own. She knew he was here. And she was content with that knowledge. She didn't wish to confront him while he was in the presence of someone so far below her stature. She might have Fallen, but she was still an Angel. And for an Angel, pride always came first and foremost.

"Oh, she'll be here soon enough. As for the others…" Naruto quickly drew a one-handed seal, making fifteen clones pop into existence and completely stunning Issei. "… They are none of your concern. You have a job to do, a princess to save."

Issei held Naruto's gaze for a scant second before realizing that there was no other way to tackle this. He didn't know Naruto's power. He had no way of knowing that he was currently in a room with what could only be considered the strongest Devil in history. But the benign smile on Naruto's face told him what mere words could not. He would survive, there were no two ways about it. He rushed towards the sanctuary. If Naruto's resolve was great enough to fight the owner of that oppressive aura, he couldn't afford to be afraid of Rayanare.

"It is uncanny how people you think you know can still surprise you," Naruto muttered, watching Issei's retreating back. "That goes for you too, by the way. Never thought you'd Fall, Raziel-chan."

As he turned to face the sudden, suffocating aura that had suddenly manifested behind him, an aura that didn't so much as elicit a twitch from him, he was faced with a creature that could only be defined through the tag of divinity. Her face was thin, almost elfin, with those high cheekbones and those perfect eyelashes of hers, like a barrier guarding her bright green eyes from the world. Her blonde hair was cut short, reaching only down to her shoulders, but it only served to bring out the beauty of her elfin features.

She was dressed in black rags, possibly the only things she could find in her short tenure as one of the Fallen, but it didn't remove from her body at all. She wasn't buxom, by any definition of the word. She didn't quite have the same assets as someone like Rias, but was still firm enough to leave something to the mind. Her body curved at all the right angles. But then again, what less could be expected from the echelons of Heaven, when even the least impressive of their kind looked like fucking supermodels?

The final stroke to the painting were her wings. Once, they were pure white, all twelve of them, denoting her status as an Archangel, the greatest of the great. If Naruto wasn't the man he was, he'd have buckled to the feeling of supremacy she exuded. It almost felt as if her mere presence demanded obedience. Her aura was telling his body to kneel, to cower before her, in all her beauty and power. But he was Naruto Uzumaki.

And Naruto Uzumaki knelt to no man.

A wave of killing intent surged from his body, blowing away the benches that surrounded him. The earth cracked, and Raziel's floating visage was brought down to the ground, all twelve wings drooped, touching the ground. She released more power to even out, but the perfect image she presented was broken. The concentrated expression of effort on her face barely showed, but it told Naruto enough that Raziel would not be the one marking the terms of this argument.

"Some of us Fall due to forbidden love, some of us Fall for lust of power," Raziel spoke in a voice which was close to a breeze than something a mouth could produce, her glare boring imaginary holes into Naruto's own cerulean orbs. "I, well, the reason I Fell is standing right here in front of me, Abbadon."

If Naruto was surprised, he didn't show it. "I go by Naruto Uzumaki these days," he corrected, a sick grin appearing on his face. "And you claim you Fell for me? Then how come you're here, in a holy shack, ready to fight me? Did you fall because you wanted revenge for all your brethren I killed? In that case, Wouldn't Aria be your target of choice?" his grin grew larger. "Or did little old me impress you so much that you couldn't stop thinking about the hanky-panky?"

Raziel shook her head, the scowl on her face was the only response he got to his last comment, considering she decided to completely disregard it as it came. "I have no desire for vengeance. I Fell because of you. Because of what you represent." This time, Naruto was quite confused. Sensing the change in his oppressive chakra, Raziel sighed. "Your power, it feels like nothing I have ever experienced before. You are a mere Devil from a lower House, yet you could hold your own against the best of us. As the Archangel of Mysteries, it is my right to know what you are, who you are," she answered, pointing at him, incriminatingly. "You do not fit in the nexus of this world, and the only way I will get my answers, is through you."

Naruto shook his head in disbelief, "Wait, so you're saying, you Fell because you wanted to know me better? I might not know much about the laws of the light, but doesn't that seem a bit too stringent? After all, knowing thy enemy is one of the very cornerstones of wartime strategy?"

To this, Raziel responded with a muted chuckle, even as her face remained stoic through it all. "And you believe that to be an easy task?" she asked. "The entire library of the High Heavens, I perused. The ancient scrolls of human lords, I scrolled. The entire omnibus of this planet's history, I scoured. Works written by Father himself in His own divine blood, I dissected for a hint of a link. And yet, I could not find a single recorded instance of the powers you use. You, Naruto Abbadon, are a mystery that I simply could not let go. Hence, I committed the ultimate sin," she proclaimed, efficiently shutting her blonde quarry up before he could so much as formulate a retort.

"I partook knowledge that is forbidden to my kind," she answered. "I approached the Fates, and while they were originally hesitant to aid me, I made them talk." Black feathers ruffled in the airy gusts that came through the church's broken fresco, leaving almost no doubts as to what she meant by persuasion.

"Clotho, the youngest, told me that she had never spun the thread of your fate. Lachesis, the elder, told me that she had never measured the length of your thread. And Atropos, the eldest, she told me that her scissors couldn't cut something that simply didn't exist."

Naruto paled. Of course, the Three Sisters of Fate. Greek goddesses who guarded the forbidden knowledge of their namesake, fate. Ones who could tell the life and death of a man through a mere look. These women had failed to find his fate, because, simply put, he didn't belong here. And as such, him having one would be both, redundant and impossible, in equal measure. Raziel caught up on this and smirked victoriously. "So, you do have the answers. Very well, I shall take them from you."

Naruto snapped out of his sudden lapse of concentration, "And you believe I'm just going to willingly spill the beans to someone who was, at least till a few days ago, fighting for the other side?"

He was answered by the materialization of a hundred orbs of pure light all around his current opponent. He barely moved in time as they all shot out, completely destroying the ground where he stood mere moments ago.

"I knew you wouldn't give over your secrets lightly," she answered, preparing for another strike as the first volley were still being dodged by the blonde Devil. "Which is why I have been preparing for this day."

Naruto dodged yet another sphere before pulling out a seal and using the pre-drawn array to absorb all the light in an area. He was met with success as the orbs forming around Raziel suddenly dimmed and faded away. The seal of eternal darkness, the reason why he had been able to succeed where his fellow Devils failed in the war.

"You'll have to try better than that, missy!" Naruto shot back as he rushed in towards his opponent at a speed too fast for even her angelic eyes to follow. As he was about to jab a chakra-reinforced fist into her abdomen and end the frankly pointless fight, his reflexes kicked in, making him jump back just in time to see three balls of an unknown energy whizz by the place where his head had been merely a fraction of a second ago. As such, he quickly backed off, glaring daggers at Raziel, who seemed to have a rather self-satisfied expression on her face.

"The last time we fought, I suffered loss at your hands, merely because you nulled the light we use." The orbs that surrounded her this time were pure white, not golden. The power he felt within these orbs was too great for it to merely be light. "So, I created a new source of power, again, a forbidden art, as we Angels are only meant to use God's gifts as our weapons. This, well, this power is decidedly not something God would bestow on us, Almighty Power, the Bringer of the Apocalypse."

The orbs began to revolve her, slowly at first, but steadily gaining speed. "You are possibly the fastest person I have ever met on the field of battle. It doesn't matter, when faced with the ultimate defence, you will fall.AlmightyVortex!" she yelled as the hundreds of orbs created a defensive, rotating sphere surrounding her. Naruto had to give her props, the plan was well thought out. Too bad, it wouldn't stand for much.

"Now, fall!Heaven's Gate!" She shouted, as she shot towards Naruto at a mind-boggling speed, her orbs destroying anything they touched. Naruto took the chance to dodge, setting up a seal on the ground, his own modified, area-based version of the Hiraishin. As the seal spread outwards, he used it to dodge Raziel's attack yet again, disappearing in a shower of sparks.

"You can't hit me if you can't catch me," he taunted, dodging yet another charge. Raziel stopped, realizing that Naruto could definitely dodge her attacks till kingdom come. She rose off the ground on her twelve, outstretched wings, her vortex shrinking closer to her body.

"Did you really think my attack was merely defensive? Even I'm not stupid enough to believe that I could beat you in a war of attrition." The orbs making up the vortex suddenly stopped rotating and started to vibrate in place. "Now, face the second phase of my technique.Almighty Vortex: Splash!"

The orbs shot out at a speed that not even Naruto could follow. Hundreds of them, fired off like a shotgun's buckshot. He couldn't dodge, so instead, he stood his ground, as a flash of gold enveloped him. The orbs impacted, causing explosions wherever they hit. The effect was immediate as the entire church hall collapsed around her. Raziel allowed herself a small smile, knowing beyond doubt that her quarry would no longer be able to fight back.

As the dust settled, though, the smile instantly turned sour, as her opponent came into view, that sour expression turned into one of abject terror.

Defending Naruto was a shield of pure gold, a metal, that by all rights, would have melted like butter under the force of her attack. But seldom were such weapons ever what they appeared to be, for the only weapons of gold that ever survived the test of time were those forged by the gods themselves. The Deus Xiphos, Michael's sword, was forged out of gold, which could fell even the strongest of foes. A weapon that could cleave through Trihexa itself. But the Deus Xiphos had never filled her with the same sense of foreboding that Naruto's shield did. The fact that said shield was now rapidly transforming into a sword did nothing to comfort her either.

"That weapon… do you even comprehend what you wield?" she hesitantly questioned, getting a sheepish smile from Naruto.

"Even I'm not that dumb, Raziel. Say hello to the Samsara." He replied, raising the simple, yet deadly, single-edged bastard sword in a mock salute.

Raziel seethed with anger, "The weapon created and wielded by the traitor of humanity. How apt. I hope you realize that I cannot let you carry the very essence of Creation in your hands." Without further ado, more orbs appeared around the arcanist Fallen. "That weapon is… too dangerous to be entrusted to the hands of a Devil."

Naruto let out a challenging laugh, "Well then, lets fight for it. Fair warning, I really cannot hold back when using this. The only reply he got was the reformation of Raziel's Vortex, this time, she spread her wings to their full wingspan. She was going to charge him. And he didn't plan to disappoint.

"Hit me with your best shot, Abbadon.Almighty Crush!" She shot off towards him, the power of her wings adding to her speed. Had he been who he once was, before being Reincarnated, the attack would have killed him with ease. But now, well, things were different. He started to run towards Raziel, one hand on Samsara as he channelled chakra into it, almost rivalling Raziel's own power. It the matter of a second, they'd clash. And when she was in his sword's reach, he let the power he had built up loose.

"I'm sorry for this.Deathbound!"

His sword slashed out, surrounded by the golden glow of his chakra mixing with Samsara's own arcane powers. It clashed with Raziel's attack, and the orbs made a noise almost akin to a crunch, before the combined power of both attacks decided that it didn't like being compressed.

And it expanded, taking out whatever was left of the church's main hall in a dome of golden light.

"Asia! No! talk to me!"

The scene that played out in front of Naruto as he walked in told him loud and clear that Issei had failed. For one, the boy looked like he had been beaten within an inch of his life. The only reason he was still alive was because he could, apparently, take a lot more punishment than Rayanare, who was out cold in a corner. One clean punch was all it had taken to end her, the fact that she still lived proving that Issei still held belief in the sanctity of life.

Even if it was the life of the person who had killed him, and effectively, the only female friend he had made of his own volition.

"Uzumaki-sensei!" Issei yelled, a look of helplessness on his face. "Please, you have to help her!" he pleaded, Naruto simply nodded before grabbing hold of Issei's shoulder and initiating a Hiraishin to his house. Issei barely got time to react to the sudden change of scenery as Naruto quickly took Asia's unmoving body from him and lay her out on his bed.

"Stand outside, and no matter what you hear,do not enter." Naruto admonished, his voice cold as ice. Issei gulped, but nodded. He had asked for Naruto's help, and Naruto had yet to let him down. He'd trust his teacher once more. He had no other alternative, after all. "I'll let you know when it's done. Also, best of luck explaining what happened to Rias. If my calculations are correct, she should be here in less than three minutes."

Issei's audible gasp was the last thing he heard as he closed the door behind him. In front of him lay Asia, and as he expected, her soul no longer inhabited the mortal coil. Well, he could definitely take care of that. A ripple spread outwards in his eyes as his usual pools of cerulean were replaced by the rippling, patterned violet-red of the Rinne-Sharingan.

"Come, Shinigami,Gedō — Mugen Rinne Tensei no Jutsu(Outer Path — Infinite art of true rebirth)!"

And it materialized, the gaunt, ethereal spectre that was the God of Death, the Reaper of Souls, Shinigami. The sense of wrongness it emitted was physically quantifiable. Of course, Naruto had long ascended the realm of power he held, but that didn't stop him from being revolted by the sheer sense of dread that permeated from the creature that controlled death itself.

"What do you want, child? Have you summoned me here again simply because the effect of death was simply not to your liking?"it asked, and for good reason. The last time Naruto had summoned him was when he ran into an orphanage that had been destroyed by a stray devil, and that had been centuries ago, when the humans were a lot more perceptive, and the devils were a lot less secretive.

"I want you to release her soul," he spoke — no, ordered — if he had been anyone else, the Shinigami would have had him pay with his life. But not him. A creature that could fight the two Heavenly Dragons did not beg, he did not trade. The Shinigami knew that, and he knew he had no say in the matter. When power asked for something, it wasn't a request. It was a demand, it was absolution.

"So be it, but before I do that. I will do you the courtesy of showing you the life that you wish to prolong."Before Naruto could counter, he was hit by a wave of memories. Memories of an orphan, living a life of destitution. Memories of her learning about the powers bestowed upon her by the divine. Memories of how the kids in her orphanage treated her like a freak. Memories of beatings, of abuse. Of her getting better with her powers, by using them on herself. Memories of her running away. Memories of her starving. Memories of her indoctrination into the Church. Memories of being a Holy Maiden, and finally being accepted by her peers.

Memories of it all going away, only because she made one single mistake.

Red chakra slowly started to emerge from Naruto, the red tint in his eyes growing more predominant. It was his life, all over again. Except, her power, her personality, unlike his, had been so mellow, so lovable, so… just. And yet, humans demarcated against her. And for what? The laws of the light were unbending, stern. But to him, they were bullshit. He always hated the Holy Church, the Crusades had seen to that. But this, well, this was borderline personal.

Like light through a crack, Naruto felt Asia's plight reaching out to his old conscience. Beckoning it free from the facades he had built up around it. And surprisingly, it answered. It gave Naruto purpose. He had a job to do.

"You just gave me more of a reason to have her back," he stated, his voice low, barely restraining the very limits of his anger. The Shinigami, reading the mood, decided to comply without further questioning. As Asia's soul began to slowly flow back into her lithe frame, her eyes opened, only to be greeted by the tearful eyes of the person who she could only assume to be one of her saviors.

"Ah, hello, thank you for taking care of me," Asia slowly whispered, deliriously sliding in and out of consciousness. This alarmed Naruto, this wasn't supposed to happen. The Shinigami's healing was absolute, and her body was otherwise unhurt. He turned to fix the spectre hanging behind him with a severe, accusing glare, but all the personification of death did was shake his head.

"I could return her soul, but as is the case with all Sacred Gear holders, her Sacred Gear is as much a part of her as her soul. Without it, she simply cannot survive."

Asia caught on to that, and surprisingly, was not affected in the slightest by the Shinigami's oppressive presence. "Ah, so, I'm going to die?" she asked, nonplussed, her voice unable to rise above a whisper. "That's such a shame. Issei promised me that he would show me Kuoh, that he'd make me meet his friends… that he'd be my friend," she spoke, her cheery tone slowly dropping. "Can I see him, one last time, mister? I'd like to see his smile once before I die. My only friend."

"No, I cannot allow that."

Her eyes widened a bit, but then a serene smile spread on her face. "Ah, guess that'll just be another regret I'll be taking to the grave." Naruto grabbed her hand and shook his head.

"No, you won't die. You'll see Issei daily. You'll meet his friends. You'll go to school; you'll have so many friends that you won't be able to count them all. I promise."

Shocked, Asia looked at him with hopeful eyes, she tried to shift in her bed, but her body wouldn't allow her. "You'd do that for me?" she asked, "But… I don't even know your name."

Naruto chuckled. "My name is Naruto. We can save our introductions for later, once you're back on your feet. And for what I'm going to do, I need you to trust me. Do you think you can do that?" Asia nodded, the strain from talking so much denying her the ability to voice her words. Having gotten confirmation, Naruto drew Samsara from within his soul. The Shinigami saw this, and for once, a look of surprise passed his grotesque, inhuman features.

"You'd do so much to save a life as torturous as her? You'd go so far as to use Creation itself to prolong her torment?"

Naruto shook his head. "No, she won't know the hate she has lived through her whole life for another day hence. I, Naruto Abbadon, will make sure that no matter what may befall her, she will be safe. I swear on my name; I will not let that smile die again."

"Spin, Samsara.Kartavyacalls to you."

"Issei."

Naruto had to suppress a chuckle, the teen outside had passed out due to his injuries and fatigue. He barely even responded to his name. Though the combined healing of the newly-restored Twilight Healing and the Shosen jutsu quickly saw to that. Rid of his injuries, the brown-haired teen quickly shot out of his chair, only to be greeted by Asia tackle-hugging him into the ground,

"Y-you came for me," the diminutive teen spoke into his chest, her tears slowly seeping into the shredded rags that were once his jacket and shirt. Unable to form a cohesive sentence, the boy simply held Asia closer, his teary eyes meeting Naruto's benign pools of blue.

"Thank you."

Naruto simply nodded.

To cut the tearful reunion short, in a second, the room was filled with two peerages worth of Devils, each with a surprised look on their faces. Alerted to their sudden presence, Issei looked around, immediately paling when his eyes landed on Rias' buxom figure, and then, on the stern expression on Sona's face

"Might I ask you, Issei, why you disobeyed a direct order from me and charged into Angel territory?" She asked, getting over her initial surprise. "More so, what are you doing in Uzumaki-sensei's house?"

Deciding that this was a good time as any to put Issei out of his misery and save whatever was left of his cover, Naruto spoke up. "I think I should be asking you that question. How did you all just… appear in my house? First, Issei shows up, beaten to death, clutching little Asia in his arms, comatose. Then all of you just… teleport to my house. I thought my powers were weird, but you guys take the cake!"

The effect was immediate. Every single person in that room save for Issei paled. But none realized the implications of what they had just done as well as Rias and Sona. Naruto had no threatening presence, he didn't radiate the feel of a Sacred Gear. He didn't feel like a member of any of the three occult factions. He could heal, sure, but there were hundreds of human-developed healing arts that utilized Ki, the power of the soul. It was then that realization hit them. In their haste to act, they had made a grave error.

They had just revealed the existence of the occult to a mere bystander.

"Oh fuck." Rias commented, and if she wasn't as prideful and stoic as she was, Naruto could have sworn Sona would have said the same.


	3. Chapter 3

"So, you know about us Devils?"

Naruto shook his head. "Not specifically about you guys. But I've heard of Devils before. Never expected to run into one during my lifetime, guess the worldisout to get me."

Rias sighed in relief, "Well that's somewhat heartening, but I'll need you to tell me why you are here, in Kuoh of all places? Who does your allegiance lie with?"

Naruto looked at her, a nonplussed expression on his face, "No one, really. I was born and raised in Kyoto, if you need to know how I already know about the occult. Once you've seen one Kappa, you've seen everything the world has to offer."

Rias chuckled. Sona, on the other hand wasn't quite as convinced by Naruto's cover. "The Kyoto Youkai faction is well-known for how fiercely they defend their members from the influence of other factions. So, how come they allowed a healer — someone with such a useful skill — to leave their fold and go to Kuoh? I mean, this place is a known bastion for Devilkind."

Naruto locked his gaze with hers, "Sona, I'm not a part of the Youkai faction. They do not take kindly to other races, and their mistrust has peaked since the eradication of the Nekoshou faction." He did not miss the wince that came from Rias, or the sudden deflation of Koneko behind her. He was playing his cards right.

"But the Nekoshou massacre was — unfortunately — perpetrated by Devilkind. Why would the Youkai hate humans for something done exclusively by the Devils?"

Naruto's smile dropped for a mere second, "Sona, the Devils didn't fight alone. They had agents within humanity, and when the time came, they too fought the Youkai. They kept the Yokai busy while Devils committed genocide, no one side bears the blame." He glanced at Asia, who was now a Devil in Rias' service. "And now that I know humans can become Devils; it makes sense how Devilkind got their fangs into our ranks."

Sona grimaced. "You sound like someone who has a lot to hold against our kind. So, answer this: why are you so comfortable around us, now that you know what we are?"

"Because I cannot, in good conscience, hate an entire race for what they did. "

The simple, yet apt answer stunned Sona. It was refreshing to see that humanity — for all its flaws — didn't keep grudges quite the same way Devils did. That was a bonus of having a short lifespan. Maybe if Devils weren't an immortal, unchanging species, they too would be able to adapt and progress the way humans had.

Maybe then her dream wouldn't seem soabsurdto those in power.

"I-I see…"

Naruto looked around, content; his work was done. After this, it was unlikely that Rias or Sona would pester him further about who he was — make them believe that they wronged him, and their pride would see to everything else.

Devils were prideful creatures, and pride always came before a fall.

"If we're done discussing you and me, should we move on to the topic at hand?" Naruto asked, pointing his right index finger towards Asia, who was asleep next to Issei. "She's excommunicated by the church, possesses an incredible power somewhat like my own, and doesn't currently owe her allegiance to any of the Three Great Factions. She's vulnerable and valuable, seldom a good combination."

"I have already asked her to join my peerage, and she's accepted."

Both Sona and Naruto shifted their gazes from the little girl to Rias, different expressions manifesting on either face. Naruto's was one of calm consideration. He'd already known this was coming. Twilight healing was a powerful Sacred Gear. What's more, it was a support-type Sacred Gear. Support-types were the rarest kinds of Sacred Gear, only below the God-slaying Longinus themselves.

Sona, on the other hand, was trying hard to reign in her jealousy. With the addition of the Red Dragon Emperor and Twilight healing, her Peerage had suddenly become a lot more powerful. While she understood Rias' desperation to gain more strength, this did not bode well for her. The young Devils' gathering was mere months away, after all.

There was hope for her, though. She switched her gaze to her least-favorite teacher, who she now saw in a new light. Sure, his healing magic wasn't as powerful as Asia's Sacred Gear, but with his build and age, he could be a very good Rook, even a Bishop with combat abilities.

A versatile Piece, the best kind.

"I have no objections to your proposal," Sona commented, merely as a formality. She didn't have any claim over Asia to begin with. The girl was enamored with her saviors, both of them. She'd have a shot if she got Uzumaki-sensei to accept her proposal, but it would be too late nonetheless.

"I have two objections."

Both the High-Class Devils gazed at Naruto, who now held a concerned frown on his face. "One: you cannot claim her without asking her if she wants to be a part of your Peerage. You've already done well to follow it. Second: considering she has already decided to join your Peerage, you need to arrange for her to attend school, including a place to live that allows her to meet her friends daily."

"For your first term, Uzumaki-sensei, I have already asked her if she wishes to be part of my Peerage, as you know, and she has agreed."

Naruto sighed in relief, maybe judging Rias by the same standards he did her brother wasn't fair. She did respect decency and the right to choose, even after Issei's little 'scrape' with death.

"As for where she'll live, I believe she'd like to live with Issei."

Naruto's head shook sideways so fast, so violently, that both Sona and Rias cringed, expecting whiplash to follow. "No, as much as I like Issei as a person, as a teacher, I cannot allow her to stay with him. He'll never hurt her, yes. But she's a beautiful little girl and-"

"He's a pervert." Koneko demurely supplied from her position on the couch, prompting a nod from Naruto.

Rias sighed. "She can't live in my mansion for the time being. My family will have their reservations about having an erstwhile member of the Church on the premises."

"I think I would like to live with Mr. Naruto, if he doesn't mind."

Every occupant of the room shifted their gaze to the little holy maiden, who had woken up on hearing her name. Naruto knew she was up, though, so his face was the only one that lacked even the smallest tinge of surprise. It was her life they were discussing here, and she deserved to have a say in it.

"As a third party, I believe that would be the best course of action too," Sona interjected, raising a hand as she did so. "Uzumaki-sensei isn't just a teacher in the school, he also now knows about… us. He too is involved now, and that puts him at risk. I'd place someone from my Peerage in his care, but seeing Asia's circumstances, it would be best if she stayed with Uzumaki-sensei."

"I have no objections to this," Naruto stated, fighting hard to keep a genuine smile from breaking out on his face.

Rias nodded. "Then, it is settled."

"Good, now, can you all get home? It is getting late at night and as a teacher, I have to report to school two hours before any of you."

Rias nodded and Akeno stepped forward. She snapped her fingers and red sigils appeared beneath each member of her Peerage, even Asia. Naruto chuckled, of course. She'd already gone ahead and done the deed. There was a bit more of her brother in her than he'd thought, but only the good parts — as far as he could tell.

Sona's Peerage disappeared next, but their King stayed behind. The only reaction Naruto gave her continued presence was a raised eyebrow.

"Uzumaki-Sensei, I wished to make you a proposal."

Naruto shrugged, "Sure, though I already know what you're going to ask me, and the answer is a firm no."

Sona looked at him like he was mentally challenged, "But we explained the benefits of being a Devil! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain! With your magic, you would become a Piece of extremely high value!"

Naruto shook his head. "Sona, I left Kyoto because I did not wish to involve myself in the matters of the occult. I simply want to keep my head down and live out the rest of my life as a psychologist. Please respect that."

Not entirely convinced by Naruto's reasoning, Sona decided to give her proposal one last try. Sadly, the determined expression on his face told her that there would be no change of heart. The most she could do was wait and hope Naruto decided that joining her wasn't as bad as he thought It to be. And in the meantime, she'd do some research on the person himself.

Without his permission, of course.

Metempsychosis

Chapter 3

"I believe the dossier we sent you was helpful?"

Naruto nodded as his frenemy gave his four errant followers a once-over. Issei and his own clones hadn't done enough damage to debilitate them, sure. Still, they'd carry the mental scars of humiliating loss as long as they lived.

"It was… informative. I didn't expect the new Maous to be so… easygoing."

And it was true. The current mental states of his four students served to prove his theory that the stronger a Devil got, the more susceptible they became to the sins they harbored. One merely had to look at Falbium for proof. He was a Devil of Sloth, and he had become almost a complete recluse from society, not even showing up on events that required his express presence.

"Entropy, my friend. What Heaven lost in strength, Hell lost in character. God knows which is the worse of the two."

Naruto sighed, he then looked at Raziel, sitting on the ground, covered almost head-to-toe in his paralysis seal-array. "Azazel, forgive me for asking this, but isn't Raziel higher than you in Heaven's pecking order?"

"Ah, I was hoping you wouldn't bring that up," Azazel said as precipitation began to emerge on his face. Raziel was older and stronger than him, and her presence as a Fallen would jeopardize his right to rule. With the kind of shit he pulled on a daily basis, her existence put his life's work in jeopardy.

"What do you plan to do with her? Put her in Cocytus? You do know that she is the Archangel of Mysteries, right? She'd escape before you could write down your will."

Azazel almost choked at Naruto's blunt reply, and then started to fidget. "Ah, about that, I was hoping she herself could come up with a solution. She doesn't seem very inclined to join us anyway."

"He's correct."

Naruto and Azazel both almost jumped out of their skins when they realized that there was a second Raziel in the room. An ethereal-looking, glowing version of her, and the sealed, currently unconscious version that they knew.

"Before you ask, yes, I can use my magic without incantations, and no, I'm unable to break your seal."

Naruto looked at her glowing visage, "You severed your soul from your body just so that you could talk to us? That's rather extreme."

"Typical Raziel, reminds me of the time back in Heaven when I tried to peep at her in her bath and found a homunculus in her stead. I don't believe my balls have ever been the same since."

Unperturbed by the creepy statement, Raziel chose to completely ignore her brethren. "Abbadon, I shall live with you henceforth. I wish to learn more about you. You carry a weapon considered lost in both space and time, and you were able to defeat my Armageddon Magic. I have several hypotheses considering who — or what— you are, and the best way to confirm them is to live with you for the foreseeable future."

"Whoa! Raziel-Chan! Was that a proposal?" Azazel spurted out before Naruto's death-glare forced him to shut up.

"If you are to stay with me, you're going to spend all your time sealed. I cannot allow you to use your magic on anyone, neither can I have people know who you are. , Azazel will be paying me for your upkeep, cause I'm damn sure they didn't teach you how to cook, clean or work a day job in Heaven."

"Those terms are admissible to me."

"Oh god, her upkeep's gonna come out of my pockets."

"On that note, you're going to have to think up a cover story. Another person will be moving into my house shortly. She's a Devil, and I can't have her know that you're a recently-minted Fallen Angel," Naruto informed her, leaving no room for discussion.

Raziel grimaced, the entire idea of having to socialize with a Devil was unappealing to her, but considering she was living with one, she could make it two.

"As you wish, Abbadon," she acquiesced.

"Oh, and my name is Naruto Uzumaki as a human. Don't blow my cover and call me Abbadon."

Raziel raised an eyebrow, "Why are you going to such lengths just to preserve this fake human identity of yours? You're a Demon, the last Demon. You could live in the underworld like a king, so why go this far to preserve your state of incognito?

Naruto gave Raziel a baleful look, of course, power and status still mattered to the former Angel.

"Because secrecy is my greatest weapon, Raziel. And soon, I'm going to need every weapon I can muster."

"So, wait, a dragon tried to speak to you in your dream?"

Issei sat across the desk from Naruto in his office, which was becoming a rather common occurrence. He was the one person who knew the most about Naruto, and any facet of his new life that he couldn't understand or ask Rias about, he brought to Naruto. It wasn't something either of them were uncomfortable with, and it guaranteed that Issei would keep Naruto's secret.

"That isn't even the major issue here, sensei!" Issei barked, sweating into his chair.

"Ah yes, your little escapade with Rias. It's a shame that Grayfia stopped you, but it would be a greater shame if you actually lost your virginity to someone deperate for freedom from a familial obligation," Naruto responded, relishing the stunned look on Issei's face.

"Y-you know that silver-haired beauty?" He asked. Typical Issei.

"I guess you could say me and Grayfia know each other. You'll forgive me if I don't unearth my entire life-story to you."

"Okay, that aside, what is this 'obligation' you spoke about?" Issei questioned. Naruto sighed, then looked at his watch.

"You'll get your answers a bit later today. She did say she'd drop by around lunch time. Till then, let's discuss the other, more important issue. That, of course, is your dream."

Issei scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, that dream was weird. I didn't mind the first part as much as I did the second though. Funny thing is, it almost felt like I knew that dragon."

"That's because you do."

Issei almost fell off his chair at Naruto's matter-of-fact proclamation. "What do you mean I 'know' that dragon? I didn't even know about the existence of the occult till a few weeks back!"

Naruto sighed in exasperation. "Issei, what do you think powers your Sacred Gear?"

Issei shrugged. "Rias told me that Sacred Gears were god's gift to man. So, I guess god powers our Sacred Gears?"

Naruto chuckled. "So, by that logic, every time you boost, God doubles your strength? And while he does that, he also provides power for thousands — if not millions — of other Sacred Gears, all at the same time? More so, would he still keep providing strength to a Devil? To the embodiment of everything he prohibited to mankind?"

Issei threw his hands in the air, exasperated. "God's supposed to be almighty and all-forgiving, right? It is possible that he's decided to cut us reincarnated Devils some slack? I don't know, how would you explain it?"

Naruto laughed. "Issei, I've been around long enough to know what powers Sacred Gears. Most of them draw power from entities which they've got inside of them, like your Boosted Gear. Now, give your Sacred Gear a once-over and tell me if it resembles the dragon you saw in your dream."

Issei's eyes widened in shock, "Well, it was a red dragon, and the dream showed my hand turning into something… draconic. Are you trying to say that there's a dragon locked inside me?"

"Give the man a medal!"

BetscsgoКиберспортивные прогнозы. Предсказывай победу любимой команды CS:GO.Киберспортивные прогнозы. Предсказывай победу любимой команды CS:GO.ПерейтиЯндекс.Директ

Issei huffed in irritation. "In my defense, I'm new to all this. Also, how are you so sure about all this?"

Naruto chuckled again, much to Issei's exasperation. "Issei, when you've lived as long as me, there are very few things that I don't know of. And as for your Sacred Gear, I've had a very personal experience with it, and the dragon that lives inside."

Issei gulped. "You know its name?"

Naruto nodded. "Not an 'it', a 'he'. His name is Ddraig, also known as Red Dragon Emperor, not to be confused with Great Red. Hell, he might take that as a compliment."

Confused, Issei chose to tune out his teacher, instead focusing on the gauntlet. "Is he going to harm me?" he asked, and Naruto got dragged back into the current situation, rid of his ramblings.

"No, but if you get to know him better, he will help you."

"And trust me, you'll need it."

"What's going on here?"

It was a valid question, for Issei had never seen the Occult research clubroom so full. Grayfia sat in a corner, sipping tea. In the middle of the room Sat Rias, flanked by her Peerage, save for him. The only people he didn't know were the last two. A purple-haired woman of exotic beauty, and a blonde man who gave off the same aura of nobility that he felt from Grayfia.

"Ah, this must be the Red Dragon Emperor. A bit disappointing, but you've had, what, a month under your belt as a Devil so far? I'd say you're satisfactory if that's taken into account."

It was the regal blonde who had spoken, an inviting smile on his face. Rias scowled. When she heard that Riser was going to arrive today, she hadn't expected him to change this much. But in the seven years since she had last seen him, the boy had matured from a pompous brat into a Devil that radiated status and power.

Too bad it didn't change her answer.

"I would like it if you were a bit more courteous to my Peerage, Riser."

The blonde chuckled, "My bad, it's not every day that you get to meet one of the two rivals of the Phenex."

"One of your two rivals? Care to enunciate?" Akeno asked, confused for good measure. Rias sighed, she didn't have time for this.

Riser motioned for Issei to come and join the table. Once he sat down, Riser lounged back into the sofa, "Centuries ago, my sister and her team faced the Heavenly Duo on a mission. That was when my sister fought not only the current jailors of the dragons, but the dragons themselves. It cemented her position in the underworld as the True Demon, and it got our family a great deal of influence. Till this day, we Phenex consider the Heavenly Duo our rivals."

Rias was a bit taken aback by the cordiality of how Riser was talking to her pawn. Riser from seven years ago would have berated the members of her Peerage — especially the reincarnated Devils — to his heart's content. To see him talking to Issei like an equal was a bit heartening, but she was resolute in her own determination.

"Riser, we are getting off topic. My answer is still — and always will be — no."

Riser sighed, "Rias, it was our parents' decision. I cannot directly appeal to them, considering how adamant they are about this matter. My sister has always taught me to deal with my problems myself. I myself cannot see a way that I can break this contract without your own drastic involvement."

Rias' eyes widened in surprise. "Wait… you don't want to marry me?" she asked, and for good reason. Seven years ago, Riser had been more than willing to marry her. Not only would it exalt his standing in the social stratum of the Devils to an obscene level. It would provide possibly the strongest Devil since the birth of the Maou — perhaps even since the birth of the True Demon.

"No, Rias. I love Yubelluna. Hell, I love every single one of my Peerage members. They're loyal to me, they love me, and they've been a part of my life for years. I'd marry any of them before I marry you." Riser proclaimed, ignoring the light dusting of pink that crept on to his queen's face. What more, the way he said it wasn't meant to be insulting to Rias, it was just a true-to-heart proclamation of his feelings.

How could someone hate him for that?

"Then why don't you dismiss it yourself?" Rias countered.

"Because in our lovely Devil society, accords and contracts hold more power over our lives than our actions."

Rias raised an eyebrow in response, prompting Riser to continue. "Your parents have always wanted your brother to wed a Phenex. They tried to make him take on sister Aria as his first wife. Of course, one doesn't simply barter off the True Demon. She challenged Sirzechs to what is now considered the first true Rating Game. It was Sirzechs and his pieces versus my sister and her Queen…"

"It was a bloodbath."

The occupants of the room turned to the source of the voice, to find Grayfia holding a solid block of ice that was once a cup of tea. The chill released by her lack of restraint hit the occupants of the room, and everyone except for Riser started to shiver.

"My sister and her queen weren't hit even once in the fight. Sirzechs did go all out — props to him — but it was nowhere near enough. Hell, if not for my sister's social position as the True Demon, she could have been offered the position of a Maou."

"Aria hates positions of power. You know that as much as I do," Grayfia commented, her cup thawing out as she retracted her power. Rias, though, had tuned out everything except for the first line of Riser's history lesson.

"So, If I defeat you in a Rating Game, I can dissolve the contract?"

Riser sighed, "Your chances of victory notwithstanding, a disgrace like that would call my efficiency as a king into question. If your brother then pulls some strings — and I am sure he will — we could dissolve this contract."

Rias grinned, "Then, Riser Phenex, I challenge you to a Rating Game!"

All pretences of civility disappeared from Riser's face in an instant. "You plan to challenge me with this Peerage? As it is? I wouldn't recommend it."

"Scared, are you?"

"Lady Rias, you might want to reconsider this." Grayfia interjected, surprising her young charge.

"But why? He's a High-Class Devil, and so am I. I'm perfectly within my rights to challenge him!"

Grayfia's gaze grew cold. "Rias, Riser holds many advantages over you. For one, he has a full Peerage of battle-trained Devils. Second, he currently holds a Rating Game record of thirty-two wins and one draw. He has never lost a battle in his life, and him and Sairaorg Bael — your cousin— are the top candidates for both winning the young Devils gathering and promotion to Ultimate-Class."

Riser chose to add in on this. "Rating Games are a matter of pride. My record is borderline unsullied, save for that one battle with Bael. I will not allow myself to go easy on you, marriage contract or not."

Rias shook her head. "Well then, we'll just have to give you your first taste of loss then, won't we?"

Rias' sheer tenacity stunned Riser for a moment, before he laughed. A laugh brimming with incredulity, it was. "Well then, let's just end it right here, right now. Me against your entire Peerage. What say you?"

"I've been waiting for this Yakitori!"

Issei's gauntlet clad arm blurred the distance between him and the seated Phenex. Anger fueled that blow, and for any human, or even low-class Devil, it would have served as a knockout.

But Riser was no ordinary Devil.

"Is that all, Red Dragon Emperor?" he taunted, catching Issei's gauntlet-covered hand within his own, burning palm. Without waiting for a response, he planted his other, curled fist into Issei's stomach, sending him flying outside through the window. Before Issei could even get up, he was kicked in the face by Riser, who seemingly teleported to him.

"You'll stop this right now, Riser Phenix," Grayfia interceded, a warning hand placed on the offender's shoulder. In response, Riser merely… stopped holding back.

An explosive release of Devil energy was the only warning Grayfia got before his whole body enshrouded in flames. She recognized this all too well , a technique that Aria had taken a decade to master. The Flame Guard, an armor made of fire that served both as a perfect defense and an exceptional offense.

"The only reason I'm not an Ultimate-Class Devil right now, Grayfia, is because I'm young." Riser said, his face hidden behind a mask of flame, his visage — terrifying. He looked and acted almost exactly like his elder sister, always assured of victory, always powerful, always so damn cocky.

"And I'd like this rare chance to find out If an Ultimate-Class Devil like you can defeat someone that used an element that counters y-"

Riser never got to complete his sentence as his face got deposited into the hard earth by a vicious punch. His face exploded into flames as his body sailed through the air. Shocked, the occupants of the courtyard outside the occult research club room finally realized that they had a new visitor.

And oh, what a visitor she was.

She was around Grayfia's age, which could be a millennium in Devil time,but she was also Grayfia's exact opposite. Whereas the Gremory Queen dressed like a maid, the dark-haired woman wore low-cut jeans and a grey crop-top. Her hair was long, flowing down to her waist, and on her face was a mischievous, yet calculating gaze. If Grayfia was Akeno, this girl would be Rias. While both were beautiful in their own regard, they were like night and day.

It also didn't help that her very presence was suffocating for Low-Class Devils, Issei included.

"Riser… you idiot! What did I tell you about picking fights?"

The man in question dug his head out from under the ground, gawking at the sudden appearance of the black-haired beauty. "You told me not to pick fights that I cannot win, Sister."

She then shifted her gaze, giving each present member a once-over, before landing on the two Gremories in the room. "Ah, Rias, it has been far too long!" She spoke, and if the genuine smile that appeared on Rias' face was any sign of her feelings for the elder woman, then her presence was welcome here.

"Grayfia, you can't allow my younger brother to rile you up like this! You were once my teammate, fucking act like it."

Everyone is Rias' Peerage — save for the king — stiffened at the newcomer's words. The Gremory household was their first taste of devil life, and if there were two things Grayfia — the head maid — hated the most, they were profanities and cockiness. The newcomer had done two things wrong in one sentence, unholy retribution was the only thing that came from such a blunder.

"My apologies, Lady Phenex, I will make sure it never happens again."

"..."

Well fuck.

If this person was high enough in the social ladder that even Grayfia, the punisher of Lord Lucifer, couldn't talk back to her, then they were utterly screwed.

"Still got a stick up your butt, I see. Well, your presence here doesn't matter," she concluded, as the sounds of many jaws hitting the proverbial floor echoed in the courtyard. "My business is here with Rias."

"So, little one, have you made your decision?"

Rias nodded, albeit with a subtle hint of hesitance. "Yes. I, Rias Gremory, challenge Riser Phenex in a Rating Game. If I win, then you will break this contract!"

"Oh! That's bold. I like it!" the woman countered. "Such bravery merits a reward. As such, we'll give you a week to prepare your Peerage for combat. Use it well."

Turning around, the woman picked up both Riser and Issei by their collars, almost as if they weighed no more than the shirts they were wearing. "Also, I believe these two hotheads need some punishment. Is there a counselor in this beautiful facility of yours?"

Rias merely nodded, and apparently, that was all the confirmation that the woman needed. In a blink, she had disappeared, probably already in the counselor's office. As she disappeared, so did her oppressive power. Now that she was out of sight, Rias' knees finally gave way as she sunk to the ground — shivering, but relieved.

"She's as intense as ever, wonder if I'll be like that one day."

Snapped out of his momentary terror-paralysis, Kiba finally found his tongue. Shocked, he turned to the eldest person present for much-needed answers, "And who was that exactly?"

"That was Aria Phenex, the True Demon of the Underworld, the strongest female Devil, and my old teammate."

"My, my, Aria Phenex, as I live and breathe!"

Aria smiled at her lover, leaning in planting a chaste kiss on his lips. Riser huffed in response, while Issei just looked more confused. The beautiful woman knew Naruto well enough to kiss him? Now that was heresy.

"Get a room, you two."

"Riser, what have I told about my relationship with Naruto?"

"Not to question it."

"Good boy," Aria finished, ruffling her younger brother's hair. A flustered Riser tried to get her hand out of his hair, but to no avail. Naruto chuckled in mirth, showing that he had previous experiences with this familial interaction.

"It is good to see you again, Riser, it has been a bit over a year."

Riser bowed deeply in response. "It is an honour to see you again, Lord Abbadon."

"Lord… Abbadon?" Issei questioned, freezing Riser in shock for a hot second. Naruto wasn't perturbed by the revelation though. Of course, Rias would have already taught Issei about the Houses of the underworld.

"Yes, Issei. My real name is Naruto Abbadon. I'm Devil."

"Demon."

"Semantics, Aria. I still consider myself a Devil. The Demon life doesn't suit me.

Aria grinned. "Neither does the life of a Devil, as I have said before. You haven't been to the Underworld in the better part of a millennia. Hell, if not for the seal you gave me, I would have never been able to find you."

"Wait, so Naruto-Sensei is a Stray Devil?" Issei questioned, panic and worry beginning to rise in his voice, and with good reason.

Aria looked at him as if he had a few screws loose, she had just called him Abbadon. Did this kid know nothing about the underworld and its societal rules?

"Naruto is the strongest Devil, Issei. He couldn't join a Peerage even if he wanted to. And believe me, he definitely wanted to," Aria answered, grinning at her boyfriend. She had tried her hardest to add Naruto to her Peerage, but even with the entire lump sum of her Pieces, (all Mutation Pieces) she was still unable to add him to her Peerage. Of course, the limitation of the Evil Piece System was that a King couldn't have a single member of his/her Peerage be stronger than him/her.

And between the two of them, Naruto was — any day — the stronger existence.

"Wow, I didn't know sensei was that strong!" Issei commented, seeing his teacher in a new light. Naruto had the decency to act sheepish, while Riser sighed.

"Anyways, that's not the point here. How have you been Riser? Is Yubelluna's problem any better now?"

Riser shrugged. "Some days, she's okay. She still has nightmares, and she still can't bear men other than me. Believe me, I saw her blow up a middle-class Devil's crotch in a social gathering just because he talked about swapping his queen for her, even though she knows I'd never do that." The High-Class Devil shifted in his seat, nervous out of character. "She still has a hard time believing that I love her, even after all that I've done…"

"It'll take time, Riser. I heard you even added Ravel to your Peerage? That was a very smart move. Though I must say, it looks like you've created an unintentional harem for yourself," Naruto countered, shocking Issei on the sidelines.

"Wait, the Yakitori has a harem? You bastard!" Issei yelled out indignantly, forcing a groan out of his companion. Naruto gave Issei a forceful glare, forcing him to back away.

"It was definitely not intentional, but I can't even deny that accusation. I filled up my Peerage with female Devils so that Yubelluna wouldn't have to deal with men. I didn't think that I'd fall in love with each one of them and vice versa."

"That's a very weak excuse. You're not worthy of Rias!" Issei countered, righteous flames burning in his eyes. Riser held his gaze for a few seconds, unsure how to react to this strange Devil, before shrugging.

"I don't want Rias, and that's what I got you here to talk about."

Issei, stunned yet again. "W-what do you mean you don't want her? You don't think she's good enough for you? Is that it?!"

"Ugh! If you could maybe sit quiet for a second, I'll explain my predicament to you."

Issei crossed his arms over his chest. "Fine, go on."

"As it stands, Rias' Peerage has no chance of beating mine in a Rating Game." Aria had to hold back Issei as he leapt at Riser, Boosted Gear ready to go. Unperturbed, Riser continued.

"I'm sorry if it offends you, but it is the truth. Rias has never been in a Rating Game. Her Peerage might have potential, but that's all it is. Potential cannot beat experience without time. And a week is definitely not time enough for you all to meet the same level as my own Peerage, who have been fighting in Rating Games for the last four years."

The rationale was enough to borderline subdue Issei, but the true reasoning didn't make it through his thick skull. Appeased, Riser continued.

"You are the Red Dragon Emperor's vessel. You're supposed to be able to go toe-to-toe with Satans and Gods alike. Yet currently, you're weaker than any one of my eight Pawns. But given time, you could very well be the key to winning Rias' freedom."

"What do I have to do?" Issei asked. Without missing a single beat, Riser answered.

"You'll know what to do when the time is right. Also, he will assist you when you need it most."

Issei had definitely not expected Aria to answer his question, neither had he expected her to point at a confused Naruto as a source of help. The counsellor himself got taken aback by the sudden declaration. The shock passed quick, and gave way to a calm, questioning visage. Aria chuckled, taking enjoyment in her partner's lack of knowledge.

"Till then, do your best. The Rating Game will be over before you know it, so buckle up. You'll get your chance."

"And when you do, you'd best fucking take it, for Rias' sake."

"Her freedom… it rests in my hands."

It had been a minute since Riser and Aria had teleported out of the room. Rias and her Peerage were still apprehensive about approaching his office, considering that the silence ward Aria had placed on the room was still in effect. It was the simplest way for a Devil to mark-off private territory.

And no one dares impede on a Demon's own territory.

"That it does, Issei. Aria's playing a game here, and I'm most likely a part of it."

Issei chuckles. "Being in the dark… it sucks, doesn't it?

"As someone who has spent the better part of my life keeping others in the dark, it does feel rather demeaning to find myself on the receiving end. Ah, my love, it tortures me so."

Issei looked at Naruto with the eyes of someone who couldn't see the complete picture. "Aria… what's her end goal? She doesn't seem malevolent, so why would she go so far as to break a union that her family desires?"

Naruto was pensive for a moment, mentally perusing his years in the underworld. "Aria's parents aren't the kind of people who place much faith in freedom, Issei. Aria was their golden child, their ticket to power and prestige. But she threw all that away, broke her ties with her parents. They are looking for a worthy successor, and a child of both Phenex and Gremory parentage might be the perfect answer to their conundrum."

Issei shook his head. "But why would they go so far as to chain both Riser and Rias together by law? There must be some other way! Isn't Buchou's brother a bigshot in the Underworld?"

Naruto nodded. "While Sirzechs and me don't see eye-to-eye on most matters, I have to say that this… doesn't fit his modus operandi. It could be a test for Rias. Who knows? All I do know is that he himself cannot annul the contract. Like Aria, he too is no longer part of the Gremory household."

"But why? He's her brother for fuck's sake!"

Naruto reclined into his seat. "The old Satans could have driven Devilkind to extinction, Issei. Their inefficient rule got compounded by two factors. One was sheer arrogance, and the second — and much more potent — reason was nepotism. People who were not fit to hold power were still given it due to familial status and underhand dealings. That's why the Satans and the True Demon cannot offer their families any form of favouritism; neither can they impede in inter-family decisions. To break this contract, Sirzechs will have to do both."

Issei growled, a mix of helplessness and aggravation manifesting itself in his tone. "That's unforgivable…" he muttered, and Naruto couldn't help but agree.

"There is a silver lining to all this, though. Aria is anything but a bad planner. She's had twenty years to get her beloved brother out of this contract. And considering she's chosen to act now of all times, her plan must be pretty close to fruition." He took a sip of water from the canister on his desk, directing his gaze back to Issei. "And you have a part to play in her plan."

Issei groaned. "Being used sucks, you know? But I cannot complain. What I cannot understand is why she's doing this?"

Naruto shifted his gaze away from Issei, choosing instead to gaze at the window. "Centuries ago, someone she cared about was wronged by the Gremory family. She's carried a general disdain for them ever since. She doesn't want one of her brothers to become a diplomatic hostage to the Gremory." He sighed, shuffling the papers on his desk. The Silence ward was about to run out of power, he'd have to wrap this up fast.

"What exactly did the Gremory do to make her angry?" Issei asked. Naruto smiled.

"That's a story for another time, Issei. Someone will be coming to collect you soon."

True to his word, the moment the ward collapsed, two teleportation circles popped into existence in the room. Out of one came the Gremory heiress herself, and out of the other came the one person who Naruto didn't wish to see.

Grayfia.

Time had definitely been kind to her. The clothes she wore did nothing to undermine her regal aura, or beauty, for that matter. The Maid-Queen, bound to eternal servitude to the man she loved, not able to ever truly be a wife to the man she loved, as she was a servant before she was a Devil. How tragic.

How cathartic.

"Are you okay, Issei? Did they do anything to you?" Rias questioned, taking her Pawn by surprise with her concern. The Gremory were possessive Devils, and as much as Rias liked Aria, she would trust her with a member of her Peerage.

"The lady wanted me to talk to the kids, get some of the pent-up aggression out," Naruto interjected, an amicable smile on his face. This was the first time Grayfia noticed the rather unimpressive-feeling human in the room. And boy was she in for a shock.

"N-Naruto?"

Time froze in the room. Rias and Issei froze-up mid hug. The Queen of Lucifer had recognized their school counsellor, even called him by his first name. This was alarming. Very alarming.

"Yes, that's my name. Have we met before? Cause I believe I'd remember someone as beautiful and –no doubt — powerful as you."

Grayfia took a few more seconds to compose herself. For her to get shocked out of her stern façade was an event so rare that it bordered on legendary. The gave the man a once-over. Sure, he looked like her ex-lover, but he didn't feel like Naruto Abbadon at all. His aura was pathetic in comparison, even when compared to his counterpart suppressing his vast reserves. There was no transformation magic at play here, else she'd know. And finally, he didn't have the tell-tale birth-marks on his face.

No, this was definitely not Naruto Abbadon.

"I apologize; you look very similar to someone I once knew."

Naruto nodded. "Must be one helluva doppelganger of mine, especially considering he seems to share my first name."

Grayfia nodded in confirmation. "Quite so, I'm Grayfia Lucifuge. And you're the new student counsellor Rias wrote home about, I presume?"

"Naruto Uzumaki, the pleasure is all mine."

It wasn't.

"Rias, we should retrieve the rest of your pieces and retreat to the family manor. If you are to face Lord Phenex in battle, you'd best start preparations immediately."

Rias gave one last look to Naruto. "Uzumaki-Sensei, please hold down the fort while we're gone." And in a burst of red light, the three were gone, leaving a relieved Naruto behind.

"That was much too close for comfort."

"I'm actually quite surprised that they managed to do so much in so little time."

Naruto and Raziel both sat on the couch, huddled around his phone. Rias had provided him the app necessary to browse the Devils-only internet, and he had taken the chance to subscribe to Devilflix, the streaming service of the Underworld.

The rating battle between Rias and Riser was the most-watched livestream for the day, considering the members involved. With a viewership count over twice over that of the second-most watched show of the day (something named Magic Girl Levia-tan, which really, really scared Naruto for some odd reason.) it was safe to say that whatever spectacle Aria was planning would spread far and wide by the end of the day.

As for the fight itself, well, it was too one-sided to qualify as anywhere near fair. Riser's Peerage was too precise, too well trained to fall to any haphazard plan that Rias had thrown against him.

And the results were easy to see. Riser's Peerage hadn't taken a single casualty yet, and Rias' Peerage was down to herself, a heavily-injured Akeno, and Issei, who had somehow broken through Riser's blockade of pawns at the cost of Kiba's metaphorical 'life'.

Of course, it wouldn't last for long. They barricaded themselves up in a hyper-realistic rendition of Kuoh academy — In Naruto's own office, to be specific. As Naruto saw Riser, Ravel and Yubelluna bring forth their magic, he knew this wasn't going to end well for Rias.

When the spells were finally released, it was far beyond even the realms of overkill.

Ravel's wind magic was a catalyst for the fire and explosions of her King and Queen. The resulting combination didn't only blow up Naruto's office, but the entire school block attached to it as well.

It was a massacre, plain as day.

As the commentators proclaimed the retirement of the final vestiges of Rias' Peerage, not even a smile appeared on Riser's face. The only change that took place was the comfortable un-clenching of his jaw. The battle had served only to consolidate his position as an ultimate-class candidate. He demonstrated that he was a better King than Rias, and on the battlefield, there is only room for one King.

The ultimate.

The camera then cut away from the smoking wreckage, landing on the proctor of the battle, Aria herself. The smirk on her face told Naruto that he definitely wasn't going to like what would come next.

"I hope you all enjoyed tonight's entertainment, ladies and genteDevils." She greeted the camera, and through it, the greater part of the Demon world.

"For I definitely did not."

Ah, there it was.

"The Gremory family and the Phenex family have been at each other's throats for years, even before the fall of the old Satans. This… marriage is the way our elders wish to reconcile our differences. That's an admirable notion, is it not?"

The spectators sitting behind Aria replied with a resounding 'yes', but Aria's smile spoke something else.

"I myself think that this is a mere farce."

The crowd fell silent faster than one could say 'pin-drop silence'. The weight of Aria's words set in, the blatant denial of a contract between two of the most prestigious families of the underworld. If anyone else made this move, punishment would be swift. But she was the True Demon of the underworld, an existence who stood far atop any other in the underworld.

You don't fuck with a Demon.

"I myself believe that the Gremory family isn't fit to join with the Phenex, at least not on equal terms. After all, we — like all other Devils — value power, we value military acumen. We value the qualities of leadership, but most of all, we value the gift of foresight — the ability to acquire and train Devils who will surpass even the Demons of yore. The young Gremory today has shown none of these gifts."

The silence wouldn't end. Every pair of eyes in the room turned to Aria, calculating, waiting for her to make her gambit.

"It seems she's as brash as ever." Raziel commented, glued to the screen. Naruto couldn't help but feel a slight hint of trepidation regarding the events to come.

"Also, part of the young Gremory's Peerage is the current container of the Red Dragon Emperor, the wielder of the Longinus — Boosted Gear. Yet, he couldn't make even a dent in today's battle. As a past member of the Phenex household, and as the True Devil of the underworld, I cannot let this slide."

"To see my past rival in such a sorry state isn't something fair… or entertaining."

Naruto choked, "Here it comes."

By the power vested in me, I call for a battle between my brother, Riser Phenex, and Rias Gremory's pawn, Hyoudou Issei. One month hence, they will face each other on the day of Rias' wedding. And to the victor, I will bequeath an honour I reserve only for the worthiest of the worthy."

"The winner will to request one thing from me, and I will do everything in my substantial power to make it a reality."

The bombshell dropped, and the crowd started to titter. Murmurs spread among the upper echelons of the Devil race, the Devil web was abuzz with news mere moments later. But no, Aria wasn't done yet.

Not even close.

"Neither of the two combatants will receive any help in training from their families, or any of their proxies. Furthermore, both combatants will train in the human realm to avoid any and all confrontation with their respective families. The fight will take place on the day of the wedding, as entertainment before the ceremony. If any of you have objections, you know exactly where to shove them. Have a good day."

Naruto sighed as the feed cut to black, of course, he should have expected something like this from the woman he had fallen for.

"She got me yet again."

Confused, Raziel raised an eyebrow in question. "Got you, how?"

Naruto gut up from the sofa and walked over to a closet filled with scrolls, after a little bit of rummaging, he pulled out an unmarked, white scroll with a dragon head on each end of the rolling spool.

"She's definitely going to train Riser herself, ah, got to love loopholes. Sirzechs cannot train Issei, because he is in a position of leadership. What do you think this leads to, Raziel?"

The Archangel of Mysteries shrugged. Subterfuge and deceit weren't core tenets of her Angelic lifestyle. The beauty of Aria's devious scheme was completely lost on her, it seemed.

"It is simple, Raziel. She wants me to train Issei. It is a competition, and she's now forced me to pick a side."

"And I don't plan to disappoint."


	4. Notice!

As I said on the summary. I just want to save this on my phone and not to constantly go to my notes to read this. I'm not asking you guys to read this, I just want to save this coz I love this story.

just visit fanfics dot me to find the whole story, I'll delete this story once I uploaded the whole chapters


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